


You and Me (and Everyone in Between)

by AniPendragon



Series: (Falling Even More) In Love With You [1]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Advanced Prostheses, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Single Dads, Autistic Penny, F/F, Friends to Lovers, Happy Ending, Ironwood is Penny's Dad, M/M, Prosthesis, Qrow raised Yang and Ruby, Slow Build, Spoilers for V3C11
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-09
Updated: 2016-12-31
Packaged: 2018-05-19 09:42:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 37
Words: 128,328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5962729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AniPendragon/pseuds/AniPendragon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>James Ironwood has lived in this neighbourhood forever. He has a routine, a life, a job, and the world’s best, dinosaur loving, daughter. Then, Qrow Branwen walks into his life, a man who’s raised his nieces for over a decade, a man with more baggage than most airlines, and a drinking problem a mile long. James finds himself befriending Qrow, but, before long, something else begins to stir between them, especially as more and more similarities between themselves and their families arise.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The House on the Corner

**Author's Note:**

> Look who's Ironqrow AU trash! Figured I'd write something that wasn't rated E for this fandom and this AU spoke to me. Though, who knows, maybe it'll end up with an E rated chapter anyway. Whoops.
> 
> So, basically, this is a Single Dads AU. Qrow has raised Yang and Ruby for a decade and has just moved into a new neighbourhood. Ironwood is Penny's father and he's lived here forever. The two of them slowly fall in love while their daughters spread their wings into the world around them.
> 
> I've taken some liberties with prostheses. I figured if SchneeCorp is real in this world, I can get away with some of the cool stuff that we have prototyped and theorized in our world. That means sensors and fine motor control, but still with other problems that artificial limbs have.
> 
> There's some spoilers for V3C11, particularly for Ironwood and Yang's body parts, so be warned.
> 
> If you like, please leave a comment!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Edited to Add on March 20th, 2016:** For those of you wondering, the Bumbleby starts in Act 2 - which is Chapter 14. It is a main part of Act 2, but Blake does not appear much before then. Thank you.
> 
> **Edited to Add on April 15th, 2016:** The Arcs no longer live in the neighbourhood. This isn't important in this story, but it is an edit.
> 
> **Edited to Add on February 3rd, 2017:** Massive shoutout to temporalten on Tumblr for doing the cover art! Thanks friend!

James Ironwood loved sunny, summer mornings. He always started them by making dinosaur shaped pancakes for his daughter, Penny. He hummed to himself, listening to the local news report on the radio that sat perched on his kitchen counter. Next weekend there was supposed to be clear skies. Which was excellent, because Oz was hosting a backyard party at that ridiculous house of his.

“Penny,” called James, flipping the last of the pancakes onto a plate. He’d made a half decent Triceratops this time, but his Apatosaurus was still his best, followed by his Brachiosaurus. But then, he’d been making them for over a decade now. The Triceratops was a relatively new addition to the dinosaur pancake family.

James set the plate on the table next to the maple syrup and strawberry jam – a favourite of Penny’s – and frowned. Where was she?

He headed toward the living room, calling, “Penny?”

“In here, Father,” said Penny. James paused in the door of the living room to find Penny on her knees in the window sill, her palms flat against the glass and her nose only inches away from it.

“What is it?” he asked, a touch of a smile on his face and in his voice.

Penny pointed out the window. “We have new neighbours. Someone is moving into Mr. Burcawich’s old house.”

James stepped into the living room and looked over Penny’s shoulder. Sure enough, a relatively modern silver sedan and a moving truck were parked out front of the two storey home. James frowned slightly, eyes narrowed.

“No one has lived in Mr. Burcawich’s house for four years,” said Penny, looking up at James. “Can we go greet them, Father?”

James nodded, his smile returning. “Of course,” he said. “Why don’t you put together a welcome basket for them?”

Penny perked and hopped up, darting for the kitchen. “I’ll give them our special chocolate cookies. Those always make people happy.”

James followed after her. “Do you think they need the cookies?”

“Everyone needs our cookies,” said Penny in a matter-of-fact voice. “If you’re already happy, they will make you happier. No one can be too happy.” She pulled a chair out from the table and climbed onto it to reach the cookies on the top shelf. James hadn’t remembered putting them there, but Penny had a better memory for those things than he did.

She took the cookie tin, a bottle of homemade lemonade, a pack of road chalk, and four of the small teddy bears she kept for new neighbours, and placed them all into a big basket. Then, she tied a bow onto the basket and lifted it up for James to carry.

“Four bears?” he asked, taking the basket. He’d grabbed some Allen keys and a couple of screwdrivers he kept for sharing as well. Those things always got lost when moving. “I only saw three people.”

“There was a dog,” said Penny.

“Ah,” said James, smiling. “Of course.”

Together, the two headed out of the house – after Penny double checked she was wearing her lucky pink laces – and headed down the street to the blue house on the corner. There, a girl in a red hoodie, probably the same age as Penny, was running around the front yard with a barking corgi.

When she saw them, the girl zipped over to them faster than James thought possible, and grinned.

“Hello!” said the girl, she was bouncing as she spoke.

“Salutations,” said Penny, giving the girl a little salute. “My name is Penny Ironwood, and this is my father, James Ironwood. We are your neighbours. It’s an honour to meet you!”

The girl grinned and pulled down her hood. “My name’s Ruby! Which house is yours?”

Penny turned and pointed to their white house down the street. James was still smiling, though, here, it was a bit more reserved.

“We have brought you presents! Including one for your dog,” said Penny.

“You brought something for Zwei?” asked Ruby, bouncing again. “Ahh, that’s so cool!”

Penny pulled one of the small teddy bears from the basket and handed it to Ruby, who, with a giggle, threw it to the small corgi. The dog leaped into the air, caught the teddy, and took off running in circles again.

“Look, he likes it,” said Ruby, grinning.

Penny smiled, then, turning her gaze up to James – though it was more over his shoulder than anything else – she asked, “May I show Ruby the park, Father?”

“If it’s okay with her dad,” said James.

Ruby cocked her head to one side and frowned. “Dad…? Oh, you mean Uncle Qrow.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” said James, his smile faltering. “I didn’t realize.”

Ruby shrugged. “It’s cool. Me and Yang look like him – which is weird because Yang’s related to him not me – so we get it all the time,” said Ruby. Then, over her shoulder, she shouted, “Uncle Qrow!”

“What?” came the reply across the yard. A man with a light dusting of stubble and smelling faintly of alcohol came stumbling around the moving truck holding a box. He set down the box and walked over to the trio, eying James and Penny with a small amount of confusion.

“Neighbours?” guessed Qrow.

“Yeah,” said Ruby, before James could reply. “This is Penny and her dad. Penny wants to show me the park, is that okay?”

Qrow sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “Sure thing, kiddo, just take Zwei with you. He’s getting fat.” He reached out and ruffled Ruby’s hair, grinning lopsidedly.

“He’s not fat,” said Ruby, sticking her tongue out at him. “He’s muscular.” She whistled. “Come on Zwei, we’re going to the park!” Zwei trotted up, tongue lolling and teddy forgotten, and followed Penny and Ruby as they walked down the street.

“Have fun,” called James. “Be home for lunch.”

“Yes, Father,” replied Penny. Faintly, James heard Penny asking Ruby if she liked dinosaurs before they were out of earshot.

Then, James and Qrow were alone.

“James,” said James. “I’d offer you my hand, but I have a basket.”

Qrow chuckled. “Qrow,” he replied. “But I think Ruby told you that. Lemme…” He trailed off, taking the basket and walking over to his step to set it down. James followed, somewhat awkwardly, and stuffed his hands in his pockets. He’d forgotten his gloves back at the house.

“Don’t suppose you wanna lend a hand? I’m one kid short now and Yang’s not really up to lifting much yet,” said Qrow.

James nodded. “I’d be happy to help.”

“Hey!” came a voice from the door. James turned to find a blonde girl leaning against the door. “I’m fine to help.”

“Docs said small stuff only until you’re fully healed,” Qrow shot back. “Go unpack yours and Ruby’s room.”

The girl threw her arms into the air – revealing an electric yellow prosthetic on her right arm. James recognized the model as a TG-800. Highly advanced SchneeCorp arm – and went back into the house.

“New arm?” guessed James.

Qrow nodded. “Yeah, she’s had it about three weeks now. Still doesn’t have fine motor control, but the doc said it’ll come with practice.”

“Top of the line,” said James.

“You know the model?” Qrow raised an eyebrow in mild confusion.

James pulled his right hand out of his pocket, revealing its metallic fingers. “TG-600. Not as new, but it’s one of the sensory models.”

Qrow grinned. “Hers is just passed her elbow, yours?”

“Arm and shoulder,” said James. “Among other things.”

“All sensory enabled?” asked Qrow.

James nodded. “Yes,” he said. He was glad that Qrow didn’t stare. He got that often around people who didn’t know him. “I used to freelance for SchneeCorp, so they gave me a hefty discount on this model when it came out.”

Qrow looked over his shoulder, back toward the house. “Yeah, the insurance covered Yang’s arm. She’s pretty pleased to have one that can feel things, but we can’t get the calibrations right.”

“I could help her,” offered James. “If it wouldn’t be overstepping.”

“You’d have to ask her,” said Qrow. “But hey, you’re probably better at it than me.”

Qrow and James hauled furniture together for over an hour. James had to stop at a few points, hissing at the pain that spider-webbed from the space where his fake hip met his real one, but he kept going. Sure, he’d hurt tomorrow, but Qrow needed the help.

When they were finally done, James and Qrow sat down on the couch with a beer each, surrounded by boxes labelled in looping, red marker hand writing.

“Ruby’s,” said Qrow, by way of explanation. He was already on his third beer while James was still nursing his first. The smell of alcohol around the man made sense now, at least.

“Cute,” said James, amused.

“Thanks for the help,” said Qrow. “Never could have gotten all this furniture in without you.”

James took a sip from the bottle and found the beer had gone warm. He grimaced a bit. “It’s no trouble. Moving is difficult without help.”

“No kidding,” said Qrow, laughing. “You been here long?”

James nodded. “Ten years or so. Penny and I moved in while she was still young. We’ve been here ever since.”

“Good neighbourhood?” guessed Qrow.

“Excellent,” said James, nodding. “The neighbours are wonderful, the school systems are excellent, and you have access to every amenity you need with less than a ten minute drive.”

Qrow laughed and held up his hands in surrender. “Hey, hey, I already live here. You don’t have to sell me on the place.”

James cleared his throat. “It’s lovely here,” he said.

“Sounds it,” said Qrow. “Only seen you out of the neighbours though.”

“You’ll see the others. I believe most of them are working today,” said James.

Qrow raised an eyebrow. “Oh yeah? Who all are they?”

“Well,” said James. “There’s Glynda, who is a wonderful woman, and her two teenagers, Ren and Nora – both adopted when they were six. There’s Bart, who lives in a bungalow on his own, he’s a local teacher, and Peter, who lives next door to him, he’s also a teacher. There’s the Vasilias family and Sun, a friend of their son, Neptune’s, who lives with them, as well as the Nikos’.” James leaned back on the couch, beer in his good hand forgotten. “And then there’s Ozpin.”

“Ozpin?” echoed Qrow. “First or last name?”

James shook his head. “No idea. I’ve known the man as long as I’ve lived here and I don’t think anyone knows.”

“Maybe it’s both,” quipped Qrow, chuckling. James found himself laughing along, his voice soft against Qrow’s own harsh laughter.

The door behind them opened then, and Ruby, Penny, and Zwei came streaming in.

“Uncle Qrow!” cheered Ruby, throwing herself at her uncle. With practiced ease Qrow lifted his beer, let Ruby hit him square in the chest, and threw his spare arm around her in a loose hug.

“Hey, kiddo. Have a good time?” asked Qrow.

Ruby nodded. “The best. Penny told me all about the Apatosaurus. It seems like such a cool dinosaur. She even has earrings of one.”

“Yes. They are my favourite earrings,” said Penny, clasping her hands behind her back. “Father, it is time for lunch and afternoon studies.”

Qrow grinned. “You sure you don’t wanna stick around?” he asked.

Penny pressed her lips tightly together, a nervous edge to her eyes, which were focused on the wall. “It is time for lunch and afternoon studies,” she said again.

“Of course,” said James, standing up. He set down his beer on the coffee table he and Qrow had set up and nodded to both Qrow and Ruby. “It was nice meeting you both, I’m sure we’ll see you again soon.”

“Yeah!” said Ruby. “Can we hang out tomorrow, Penny?”

“We may hang out between lunch and three p.m. if Father is okay with that,” said Penny.

“Sounds wonderful,” said James.

Ruby grinned. “Sure! Your place?”

Penny nodded.

“All right, time to go,” said James.

He and Penny headed out of the house and down the street. As they walked, Penny began to chat excitedly, her steps growing into skips.

“Ruby is wonderful and she wants to learn about dinosaurs,” said Penny. “I enjoy her company very much. Zwei is very funny, too.”

James nodded, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “I’m glad you liked them, Penny. It’s nice to see you with a friend.”

Penny tipped her head to one side, still watching her steps. “She’s my friend?”

“If you both want her to be,” said James.

“How do I know if she wants to be?” asked Penny.

“You ask,” replied James. “I’m sure she’d be agreeable, she seems like a very nice girl.”

Penny grinned. “I will do that,” she said, nodding. “Tomorrow.”

“Sounds good,” he said. Then, “May I?” His left hand hovered near Penny’s shoulder. She nodded. He rested his arm across her shoulders as the two walked home, Penny still chattering away about how wonderful and funny Zwei was.


	2. Meeting Ozpin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fast updates! Not sure how long they'll last, but eh, enjoy them. Glad everyone is liking the story so far. I this chapter, we've got Ozpin! And discussion of backstory! Woo.
> 
> Leave a comment if you like it!

The next day, Qrow sent the girls out for groceries while he unpacked the house and tried to get some semblance of organization into the remaining boxes.

That failing, he grabbed his flask, took a deep swing from it, and started putting dishes away while classic rock played on his stereo.

Halfway through the cups, Qrow heard a knock at the door. Turning down his music, Qrow tossed the dishrag he was using onto his shoulder and headed for the door.

The man on the other side was old. Maybe. It was kind of hard to tell. But he had a cane and grey hair and tiny ass glasses, so old seemed like the most accurate word to describe the guy. Even if there were no lines on his face. And he stood up straighter than Qrow did.

“Can I help you?” asked Qrow, eying the guy.

“Hrm?” said the man, a distant look in his eyes. “Oh, no, I just thought I’d say hello to the new neighbours.”

Qrow raised an eyebrow. “I’m guessing you’re Ozpin, then.”

“What gave it away?” asked the man, a light smirk playing across his expression. If Qrow had thought the man was old before, then he couldn’t anymore. The smirk took a good ten, fifteen years off him. Made him look a couple years older than James, at most.

“Weird old guy, mostly,” said Qrow, shrugging. “Heard a bit about you from Jimmy. Nothing bad.”

Ozpin chuckled. “Jimmy? Oh, he’ll love that. May I?” Qrow stepped aside and let Ozpin into his house, noticing the way the man leaned heavily on his cane. Young or old, the guy seemed to need that thing. Old injury, Qrow guessed. Or a bad prosthesis.

“Would you like some help with anything, while I’m here?” asked Ozpin over his shoulder as he strolled into Qrow’s kitchen.

“Got towels and shit you can fold,” said Qrow.

Ozpin nodded. “Excellent.” He limped across the room and set to work immediately. Qrow shook his head in disbelief. What was _up_ with this guy? Eh, whatever got him out of more work, anyway. He started back in on the dishes.

“Did you move very far?” asked Ozpin. “I haven’t seen you around before.”

Qrow sighed. He studied the dishes closely as he washed them, trying not to let the strain in his voice show. Of _course_ Ozpin hadn’t seen him around before. What was he playing at?

“We’re from Washington.” Said Qrow.

“I see.” Qrow didn’t like Ozpin’s cryptic tone. “Needed a fresh start?”

Qrow paused in his dish drying and clenched his jaw. No, he definitely didn’t like that tone. It was too cryptic to be an innocent curiosity. But then, James had had an odd tone when he’d spoke of Ozpin. Something that made Qrow wonder what the man’s motives were.

“Something like that,” Qrow said, eventually. He went back to drying dishes, careful not to crack the plates as he stacked them into the overhead cabinets.

Ozpin hummed, thoughtful. “And the girls I saw, they’re your… daughters?”

“Nieces,” said Qrow. “I raised them.”

Ozpin made an ‘ah’ sound. “You picked a good neighbourhood for that. Lot of surrogate and mixed families around here.”

“Yeah, I heard about one – Glynda?” guessed Qrow, trying to remember her name.

Ozpin’s heavy steps sounded. He set himself next to Qrow, slowly wrapping newspaper from around dishes and setting them on the counter. Qrow looked over his shoulder to see all fifty or so towels and cloths folded neatly on the dining room table. Damn, Oz was fast.

“Yes, she’s a wonderful woman. Ren and Nora have lived in town all their lives, and when they lost their parents to that fire…” Ozpin trailed off, shaking his head. “We were all very glad when Glynda was approved to foster them both, and then adopt them a few years after that. Ren and Nora were always close, it would have been a tragedy to see them split up.”

Qrow thought about Yang, whose biological mother had come looking for her not long after Taiyang’s death, almost fifteen years ago. He remembered the court dates, the arguments, the fear that he’d lose one of his girls and that Ruby and Yang would be split up. But then Raven had gotten into one too many fist fights and had been gone again. Disappeared without a trace ever since.

“Yeah, I get that,” said Qrow, his voice a little rough. The thought had left a bitter taste in his mouth.

“I thought you might,” said Ozpin.

Qrow narrowed his eyes as he dried dishes. “How?” He _definitely_ didn’t like that tone. Was the guy some kind of creepy PI? Or did he hire them?

“A feeling,” said Ozpin, dismissing Qrow’s suspicion with a well-timed shrug. Qrow shook his head. Something about this guy was off. Way off. But he _seemed_ nice enough. It was the… what was the word? Juxtaposition. It was the juxtaposition that was throwing him.

“Anyway, I should be off,” said Ozpin. “I just wanted to stop in and say hello.”

Before Ozpin could leave, however, the door swung open and in came Ruby, Yang, Penny, James, and a ton of groceries.

“Uncle Qrow, look,” said Ruby, hoisting her bags high. “Mr. Ironwood drove us home so we got _even more groceries_!” Her voice rose into a happy cheer as she finished.

Qrow shook his head and took some of the bags, chuckling to himself. He set them on the counter and let Ruby envelope him in a tight hug.

“You did good, kiddo,” he said, pulling back to ruffle her hair. “Hey, you met Ozpin yet?” He turned to see Ozpin slowly edging his way toward the door. Caught, the man stopped and smiled warmly at Ruby and Yang.

“Hello,” he said. “I’m Ozpin.”

Ruby narrowed her eyes. “Is that your first name or your last name?”

“That is an excellent question,” said Ozpin. “But I have a better one; what’s your name?”

“Ruby!” said Ruby, her question already forgotten. “And that’s my sister, Yang.”

“Hey,” said Yang, setting down bags on the counter. Penny and James followed suit. Penny was carrying a surprising number for such a small girl.

 “James, Penny, lovely to see you both again,” said Ozpin. “But, really, I must be going. Parties to plan and all that.”

“Party?” echoed Ruby, brow furrowing.

Ozpin smiled, his hand on the doorknob. “I’m throwing a barbeque this Saturday as a way to celebrate the end of summer. Why don’t you come?”

“Can we bring Zwei?” asked Ruby as the dog came into the room.

“Of course,” said Ozpin. “The more, the merrier. James can bring you.” And then he was gone before anyone could protest that arrangement.

Once the door was closed, James grimaced. “Sorry about that, he’s…”

“Eccentric?” offered Qrow.

James nodded. “Among other things.” He glanced back at the door. “Not all of them easily explainable.”

“He is very strange, but he is nice,” said Penny. “And he used to babysit me when I was younger.”

“His house as weird as him?” asked Qrow.

Penny tipped her head to one side. “I do not know. He has many pictures, many notecards, and a great deal of red string in one of his kitchen drawers, however. I have never seen these in a kitchen before.”

Qrow raised an eyebrow. “No, they aren’t.”

“Hey, Uncle Qrow,” said Yang. “Check this out!” She held out her electric yellow arm and wiggled her fingers one after the other, then formed a proper fist and fainted a punch into the air.

Qrow grinned. “You got some fine motor back,” he said.

“Yeah, Mr. Ironwood helped me while Ruby and Penny were loading up his Jeep,” she said.

“It’s such a cool Jeep,” Ruby cut in. “It’s like armoured and has sonar and it’s so high tech and awesome.” She stage whispered, “I bet he was in the Special Forces.”

“Did you know he helped design the arm I have?” asked Yang, grinning. No, Qrow hadn’t. That _was_ pretty interesting. He glanced up at James, one eyebrow raised. James shrugged.

“Yeah! And he’s got a metal arm too,” said Ruby, also grinning.

Qrow chuckled and ruffled both of their hair. “Seems like you got a couple fans,” he said to James.

James shrugged again, his eyes darting low and the tips of his ears turning red. “Just helping out.”

“May Ruby and I play now?” asked Penny. Qrow noticed her gaze didn’t quite meet James’ and raised an eyebrow at him. James smiled at Penny, his gaze darting over to Qrow.

“Of course, have fun,” he said.

“Woo! Let’s go Penny. Yang, you wanna come?” asked Ruby.

“Nah, I’m gonna get some sun,” said Yang. She yawned and placed her yellow hand over her mouth. “Maybe take a nap.”

“’Kay,” said Ruby. Ruby and Penny disappeared out the front door, while Yang and Zwei went out the back, leaving James and Qrow alone in the kitchen.

There were a few moments of silence, then, Qrow figured he’d bite the bullet.

“Can I ask?” said Qrow, gesturing to the front door. He’d meant Penny, and he knew James knew that.

“Specifically?” replied James. Qrow saw the way he’d gone tense and raised his own hands in surrender.

“Hey, not judging, just curious. If it ain’t my business, tell me,” said Qrow. “She’s a great kid. Ruby adores her already. Just wondering what’s up with the eye contact and the speech patterns.”

James relaxed a bit, still tense. “She’s autistic,” he said. “Milder end of the spectrum.”

“Ah,” said Qrow. That did explain a lot of it. “That’s cool. Ruby’s pretty familiar, back home she had a couple friends on the spectrum, so she shouldn’t do anything stupid.”

James nodded, now he’d relaxed properly, and a small smile spread across his face. “Penny’s good about advocating for herself. I think the two will get along fine.”

“Seems to me like they already are,” said Qrow. “It’s good. Was worried Ruby wouldn’t have friends here.”

James leaned against the doorframe and frowned slightly. “Can I ask?” he said, and Qrow knew he was referring to the move. It was a funny dance, here in the kitchen, asking without asking, but knowing what the other meant all the same.

“We’re from Washington,” said Qrow. “S’where the girls grew up. Where their dad died.”

James nodded. “The mother?”

“Two,” said Qrow. “Half-sisters. Yang’s mom showed up and tried to take her away after their dad died. I fought tooth and nail to keep those girls together. Ruby’s mom – the one that raised them – she died in the same fire their dad died in.”

“You were close,” said James, his eyes soft.

“They were family,” said Qrow. “ _My_ family.” He heard his voice go hoarse and dropped his eyes. Didn’t want James to see the pain that stabbed through them.

“Is that why you’re ‘Uncle Qrow’?” asked James. His voice was as soft as his eyes had been and Qrow was grateful for the lack of judgement. He took a second to compose himself, cleared his throat, and managed to straighten himself back up.

“Nah,” said Qrow. “Yang’s bio mom, Raven, is my twin sister.”

James stared.

“Yeah, it’s a little fucked up,” he said, not able to keep the frustrated chuckle out of his voice. “But they’re _my_ kids, not hers. She has no claim to Yang anymore.”

James nodded. “That’s why Ruby said she wasn’t related to you, yesterday.”

“Yeah, they know they’re half-sisters. They know I’m not actually related to Ruby, biologically speaking, but they don’t care. They love me. I love them. Isn’t that what’s important, in the end?” said Qrow.

“Yes, I’d say so,” said James.

Qrow cleared his throat and dropped his eyes, not quite able to meet James’ eyes.

“So, barbeque?” he asked, eager to change the subject. He raised an eyebrow with his question.

James groaned – a new sound that made Qrow chuckle – and rubbed his good hand across his face. Gloves today, Qrow noticed. But only on the right hand. _Huh_.

“He throws one every year and invites the entire block,” said James, the exasperation clear in his voice. “There’s always a fire, always a fist fight, and someone always gets stuck on the roof.”

“Sounds like my kind of party,” said Qrow, grinning.

James just shook his head. But there was something fond in his eyes that had Qrow grinning at the other man.

“Just wait and see, all right?” said James. “I think it’s bring your own alcohol, though.”

“All right,” said Qrow, the amusement still in his voice. “But I think it’s gonna be fun.” He walked past James and clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Now come on, Jimmy, let’s grab Yang and get her to put these groceries away.”

“It’s James,” said James, making Qrow’s grin widen. “And shouldn’t we do it ourselves?”

Qrow snorted. “Pfft. She wants to help? She can help. Let’s go, Jimmy.”

They headed for the backyard, Qrow still laughing at the indignant look on James’ face at his new nickname.


	3. The BBQ Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Qrow goes to a backyard party and Ozpin is cryptic. But what else is new?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Took a couple days, but I got the next one up!

Saturday came quickly enough. Qrow spent the next two days unpacking, trying to convince Yang to go make friends, and attempting to keep track of Ruby and Penny, who were always running around the block together with Zwei. So, when Saturday came, Qrow was both relieved and caught off guard. He hadn’t met any of the neighbours except Ozpin, James, and Penny, and he didn’t know what to expect.

“Girls!” called Qrow, jogging for the door as the second round of knocks emitted from it. “Come on, James and Penny are here. Time to go.”

He opened the door and sure enough, James and Penny were there. James was in a long-sleeved button up with his customary glove, making Qrow sigh inwardly because _how had he not died of heatstroke_. And Penny was in a flowery blue and white dress that Qrow could only describe as adorable.

“Well, don’t you look great,” said Qrow to Penny, grinning. She smiled shyly back at him, fidgeting with her dress. His eyes slid over James. “You’re all right.”

“Thanks,” said James, drily. He looked over Qrow’s shoulder. That was the only warning Qrow got before Ruby barreled into him. He laughed, swung her around, and dropped her in front of Penny. Ruby had ditched her hoodie for a t-shirt and shorts.

Yang appeared next to Qrow, silent as a ghost. She was in sleeves today, her hands shoved deep in her hoodie pockets.

“You’re are going to boil,” said Qrow, nudging them all out the door and closing it behind them.

Yang shrugged, her head ducked slightly, and followed beside Qrow as they walked toward Oz’s house.

“You okay?” asked Ruby, leaning around Qrow to look at Yang. She shrugged again, but didn’t say anything.

There was a long, awkward pause. Then, James pulled off his glove, undid the cuff buttons on his shirt, rolled both sleeves up to just below his elbows, and re-buttoned them. His metal arm shone in the afternoon sun. Yang stared. Qrow couldn’t help but stare as well, if only because he’d never seen James without long sleeves before. _Damn_ if the man didn’t look good.

But, more than that, Qrow noticed the way James was looking at Yang, with concern and hope. Slowly, Yang pulled her hands out of her pocket, shoved her sleeves up to her elbows, and grinned at James.

‘Thank you,” Qrow mouthed over the girls’ heads. James only nodded.

“Are there other kids in the neighbourhood?” asked Ruby, mostly addressing Penny.

Penny nodded. “There is Sun and Neptune, and Pyrrha, and Jaune, and Nora and Ren.” She tipped her head to one side. “I believe they have been working or on vacation this week.”

“Are they cool?” asked Ruby.

Penny tipped her head to one side. “Sun is nice. Neptune is… his boyfriend. I do not know much else about him.” She frowned. “I do not know much about any of them, but Pyrrha has helped me home before.”

“Boyfriend?” echoed Yang, eyebrows raising. “Sweet. Less competition for me.”

“For boys?” asked Penny.

Yang grinned. “For girls.”

James’ eyebrows went up. “I’m sure you won’t have a problem,” he said.

Yang punched her right fist into the air. “Right on! Barbeque, here we come.”

The walk up the hill was spent mostly listening to Penny and Ruby. Penny had gotten on the topic of the Triceratops, and was explaining its bone structure to Ruby and Yang – who both kept asking questions whenever there was a long enough pause.

Qrow couldn’t keep most of it straight, Penny spoke _fast_ when she got excited, but Ruby and Yang seemed interested enough. And he caught the way James’ eyes went soft when he watched the three. Qrow wondered how long it had been since Penny had someone to talk dinosaurs with that wasn’t James.

Before long, the five reached the top of the hill, where Ozpin’s house came into full view.

There were a couple houses atop the hill – one had a rather dilapidated “For Sale” sign perched on its lawn, and the other was obviously Ozpin’s. It was tall with a spindly tower with green windows on the left side. The tower was probably four stories tall, making Qrow gawk.

The rest of the house was done up with a ridiculous amount of foliage, and a tall fence that wrapped halfway around the backyard. Cars dotted the area and a great deal of laughter was coming from the backyard.

“Are you going to be all right?” James asked Penny in a soft voice. She nodded, a bright smile on her face, and gestured toward Ruby.

“A-okay,” she said, saluting him. Ruby grinned and started forward with Penny, saying something about meeting the rest of the neighbourhood. Yang lagged behind with Qrow and James, the hesitation plain on her face.

“They know about me,” said James, wiggling his metal fingers. “The most you’ll get is a startled look. Everyone will be used to it in an hour.”

“You sure?” asked Yang, eyeing the backyard as they got closer.

James nodded. “Positive.”

Yang grinned and tore off after Ruby and Penny, shouting for them to wait up.

Qrow looked up at James, a fond look in his eye.

“What?” asked James.

“It’s nice of you,” said Qrow, clearing his throat. “To do that for her.”

James shrugged, and Qrow saw the tips of his ears turn red. Qrow couldn’t quite hide his grin at the sheepishness that swept across James.

“I wasn’t lying. They’ve all seen the arm. It doesn’t surprise them anymore,” said James.

“What about the rest of it?” asked Qrow.

James raised an eyebrow. “The rest of it?” he echoed.

“Arm, shoulder, among other things,” said Qrow, partially quoting. James grimaced, using his good hand to hide it, but Qrow saw it anyway in the pinch of his brow and the narrowing of his eyes.

“Uh,” said James, expression pinched.

“It’s fine,” said Qrow, waving him off. “Forget I asked.” James’ small smile was thanks, Qrow saw, but he didn’t say anything else.

A few more steps and both men were entering the backyard party, where a short, portly man was working the barbeque and a tall, spindly man was speaking with his hands at Oz. Qrow couldn’t help but grin. This neighbourhood already looked fun. Eccentric, friendly, and full of interesting people.

His eyes slid across James again, who was scanning the backyard, presumably for his daughter.

“Uncle Qrow!” Ruby slammed hard into Qrow’s side, latching onto his arm. “Hi,” she said.

Qrow grinned and ruffled her hair, lifting her off the ground. “Where’s your sidekick?” he asked.

“Partner,” corrected Ruby. “And she’s right here.” Sure enough, Penny appeared on Qrow’s other side, a respectful distance away and her arms folded behind her back.

“We are attempting to find Sun and Neptune, so that I may offer my customary greeting,” said Penny, perkily.

Just then, a blond guy with an open shirt and a blue-haired guy wearing a stupid Hawaiian shirt popped up behind Ruby.

“Penny!” they said. The blond pointed finger guns at Penny and went “Chicka-Pow!” She returned the gesture with equal vigor.

Penny giggled afterward. “This is Ruby, she’s my friend. She just moved here.”

“Hey,” said Ruby, waving weakly.

“’Sup?” said the blue haired boy, tipping his chin upward. The blond elbowed him, hard.

“Forgive Neptune, he’s not good at meeting new people. Or old people. Or… anyone, really,” said the blond.

“Hey!” protested Neptune, pouting. “Sun, come on.”

_Ah_. So this was Sun and Neptune. Qrow had heard bits and pieces about them from James. The two were notorious for being pranksters, daredevils, and, well, boyfriends, if Penny’s words were anything to go by.

“This is my Uncle Qrow,” said Ruby.

Sun slung an arm around Neptune’s shoulders, a hard task, considering Neptune was a good three or four inches taller than Sun, and grinned.

“Awesome. Anyone else with you two?” he asked.

“My sister,” said Ruby, cheerfully. “She’s around here somewhere.”

“Probably at the buffet,” said Qrow, drily, gesturing toward the tables full of food.

“That’s a lot of food,” whispered Ruby.

James glanced down at her, eyes mischievous. “That’s nothing,” he said. “There was twice as much last year, but then,” he looked around and leaned down to Ruby, whispering, “the ‘incident’ happened.”

Ruby’s eyes went wide and she gasped, hands flying to her mouth. “What happened?” she asked.

James pressed a finger to his lips and smiled conspiratorially. “There was… a _food fight_.”

Ruby broke into a wide grin, still half hidden by her hands. “Who won?”

“Ozpin,” said James, drily. “Because he made the rest of us clean up the mess and took a nap.”

Ruby broke into snorting giggles, holding onto her belly to keep herself from falling over. James grinned and straightened, flashing the look to Qrow, who felt his stomach flip-flop. He swallowed hard and grinned back.

Hot _and_ good with his kids. Damn. That just wasn’t fair.

“I’m gonna go find Yang,” said Qrow. James nodded and the girls waved him off, still chatting with Neptune and Sun, who was still hanging off Neptune like a monkey.

Qrow snorted and shook his head. Teenagers. He headed over to the table of food, where, sure enough, Yang was standing. She was holding a plate of food in her left hand and was picking at it with her right, tossing bite-sized hot dogs and French fries into her mouth while an older blonde woman spoke to her.

“Hey, Uncle Qrow,” said Yang, waving with French fries in her hand. “This is Glynda, she and Ozpin and best buds.”

Glynda raised an eyebrow and adjusted her glasses. “That’s… not what I said. At all.”

Yang shrugged and shoved another tiny hot dog into her mouth. “I read between the lines,” she said.

Qrow nodded. “So, you’re Glynda. The one with Ren and Nora?”

“Yes,” said Glynda, sighing. “I don’t suppose you’ve seen them? Chinese guy with a short redhead following him around?” Qrow shook his head. “Damn it. I hope she’s not drinking the syrup… again.”

“Sound like fun kids,” said Qrow, drily.

Glynda chuckled. “I love them dearly, really. But they are a handful.”

There was a crash from inside, a screech of glass on metal, and an exasperated “Nora!” Glynda winced, sighed, and looked to Qrow apologetically.

“That would be them. Excuse me,” she said. She ducked passed Qrow and headed through the sliding glass doors, which Ozpin had just ducked out of. And hadn’t he been in the backyard a minute ago? Qrow frowned. Must have been fast.

He still had his cane, but the man didn’t seem to be using it much, and simply limped up to Qrow with it tucked in one hand.

“Qrow, glad you could make it,” said Ozpin, smiling.

“Same,” said Qrow. He picked up a root beer from the table and cracked it open with a hiss. Took a deep swing from it and tried not to sigh. Wished he had his flask. But he was trying to cut down, for the girls. It wasn’t going great. “Interesting crowd.”

Ozpin chuckled. “Yes. Many have come and gone since I moved in, but this might be the greatest neighbourhood we’ve had.”

“How long you been here?” asked Qrow.

Ozpin shrugged. “A while,” he said, vaguely.

Qrow sighed. Somehow, he felt he should have expected that.

“I see you’ve met Glynda,” said Ozpin. “Did you like her?”

Qrow chuckled. “She seems great. Her kids sound like a handful.”

“Not unlike yours, I imagine,” said Ozpin.

Qrow’s gaze swept the backyard. Saw Ruby and Penny and Yang talking to Sun and Neptune. Yang was gesturing widely and Penny was babbling away. Ruby was grinning and poking at Sun’s abs, which were exposed by his unbuttoned shirt. Qrow shook his head, fond.

“Yeah, they’re a lot to handle. But I love them,” said Qrow.

“I can tell,” said Ozpin. “You seem like such a wonderful father.”

“I’m not their father,” said Qrow.

Ozpin raised an eyebrow. “Aren’t you?” he asked, sipping his coffee. And then he was gone, walking off to greet some guy named ‘Peter’ in the crowd.

Qrow stared for a moment, frowning. What was _up_ with that man?

“Don’t worry about him, he’s weird, but he’s _awesome_ ,” said a voice. Qrow turned to see a short red-headed girl grinning up at him. Beside her stood a slightly taller Chinese boy with a pink streak in his hair. “I’m Nora.”

“Qrow,” said Qrow, taking Nora’s hand when she held it out. She shook it hard, making him shake his hand when she released him.

“This is Ren,” said Nora, jerking a thumb at the boy next to her. He nodded, silent.

Qrow raised an eyebrow. “Wasn’t Glynda looking for you two?” he asked.

Nora shrugged. “Probably. But it’s _fine_. We only set the kitchen on fire a little bit.” She waved off her words with one hand.

“The toaster blew up,” said Ren, by way of explanation. His own voice was a soft timber next to Nora’s sharp enthusiasm.

“I am not a crook,” said Nora, flashing peace signs with both hands. “Besides, it’s better than last year. Remember last year?”

Ren sighed. “We blew up the pool.”

“Yeah, so she can’t get _that_ mad at us,” said Nora.

“Oz has a pool?” said Qrow, looking around. He couldn’t see it.

“He used to,” said Nora vaguely. “He filled it in after that.”

Qrow nodded. Trying not to grin at the two before him. It was hard, but he knew it’d encourage them. And he knew from experience that encouraging destructive teenagers was never a good idea.

“There you two are,” said Glynda, stalking up to them. “Now go clean up at that mess before Ozpin decides to make puns about blow torches and toasters.”

“Yes, Glynda,” said both Ren and Nora, and they disappeared back into the house.

Qrow grinned. “I like them.”

“Thank you,” said Glynda, preening a bit. “Where are yours?”

Qrow waved over to where the girls were. “They’re making friends.”

“With Penny,” added Glynda, sounding thoughtful.

“That a bad thing?” asked Qrow, raising an eyebrow.

Glynda shook her head. “No, it’s good to see her making friends.” She glanced back at the kitchen and sighed. “I should keep an eye on them. I’ll talk to you later.” She walked off, leaving Qrow to his thoughts.

He couldn’t help but frown. He wasn’t Ruby and Yang’s father. He’d raised them for years, since Tai and Summer had died, but he wasn’t their father. He’d never try to take that from them.

And yet.

“You all right?” asked James, walking up. Qrow smiled at him.

“Fine,” he said. “C’mon, you gotta tell me what’s safe to eat at this place.” He dragged James closer to the buffet table, ignoring the thoughts Ozpin had set in motion.


	4. Bad Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Qrow's nightmares return. James can relate. Somewhat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the tonal shift might seem a bit odd, at first glance, but I assure you that the story hasn't switched genres. Single Dads AU is still a largely adorable story, just with some other stuff we have to deal with alongside it.
> 
> As someone who has spent most of their life surrounded by people with depression, drinking problems, and grief issues, this is something I spent a lot of time thinking about before I wrote it. Hopefully, it makes as much sense to you as it does to me.
> 
> ALSO: Tai and Summer died in a fire, not a car accident. I fixed that typo in chapter two. Sorry.

Qrow woke up in a cold sweat, visions of fire and the sound of screaming and gunshots echoing throughout the room. He scrambled upward, kicking off the blankets in an attempt to cool down. His entire body shook. Wiping at his eyes, he pressed his palms into them, hoping to stem the images and the tears.

Nothing.

He looked up. The digital clock on his nightstand read “4:30am”. The red numbers blurred until Qrow thought they could almost be blood. He shook his head to clear the thought.

With a sigh, he got out of bed and headed for the bathroom. Looked like it was going to be one of _those_ days.

By the time Qrow peeled himself out of the shower, shaved, and made coffee, it was almost five thirty. At that point, he dug through the cabinets, found the flour, and set to work.

At a little after eight thirty, when the girls appeared, bleary eyed and curious, Qrow was just pulling out the last batch of cookies from the oven. Four dozen muffins, two dozen cookies, and a pie sat on the counters and the dining table.

“Did you even sleep?” asked Yang, staring. Qrow shrugged, setting down the last set of cookies.

Ruby grinned and hopped onto a chair, stealing one of the triple berry muffins. “Thanks, Uncle Qrow,” she said. Qrow nodded, shucked the oven mitts, and started rooting around the fridge for something to drink. Whiskey, preferably, but he wasn’t picky.

“Hey,” said Yang. Qrow looked up, one hand around a beer, and raised an eyebrow at Yang. “You okay?” Her voice was soft, the same kind of tone he always used on her.

With more self-control than Qrow thought he had, he let go of the bottle and closed the fridge.

“Fine,” he said, offering Yang a smile. He knew it didn’t reach his eyes. He knew his bangs mostly hid them. His gaze flicked to her electric yellow arm. Yang’s scream pierced behind his eyes and tore out his vision. Left him staring at Ruby cradling her sister. Then at a burning house, holding two little girls close to him as the firefighters tried to find his friends.

“Uncle Qrow.” The words jarred him back to the present. He was sitting, leaning against the fridge. Both Yang and Ruby were crouched next to him, both keeping their distance.

“Hey,” said Ruby. He nodded to her. Shoved himself to his feet and grabbed a beer from the fridge. Downed half of it in one go.

“I’m gonna go sort out the bills,” he muttered, before heading upstairs. He caught the hurt expressions on Ruby and Yang’s faces as he retreated, but he couldn’t turn back. Couldn’t talk to them.

He could only see the blood and the fire and feel the punch to his gut.

It was going to be another one of those days.

* * *

 

Qrow awoke sometime around noon to a pounding headache and the cries of Yang and Ruby. He leaped out of bed. Halfway to the door before he realized the cries were inside his head and not aloud.

He punched the door. Split two of his knuckles and let the pain ground him.

He needed harder alcohol.

He trudged down to the kitchen, ignoring the tiny streams of blood on his hand. All the muffins and cookies had been put into Tupperware and put away. The pie was covered on the counter. A note was pinned to the coffee maker. Qrow plucked it up as he went to grab his keys to the car.

_‘Uncle Qrow, we thought you needed some sleep so we didn’t wake you up when we left. We’re gonna go hang out with Ren and Nora at the park._

_Love you! Sorry you’re having a bad day._ _:(_

  * _Yang & Ruby’_



Qrow found himself smiling, softly, at the looping handwriting of Ruby’s. He leaned against the counter, keys forgotten on their hook, and sighed.

Don’t drive like this, he told himself. Remember what happened last time. He flinched. Okay, maybe _don’t_ remember what happened last time and just don’t drive either. He could do that.

He grabbed another beer out of the fridge and headed for the couch. Turned on the TV and stared blankly at the news in the dimly lit house.

Sometimes he could go weeks – even months – before the nightmares and the panic returned. Until all he could see was the death of his friends – his _family_ – over and over again in his head. The guilt that he hadn’t run back in, the fear of what would have happened to Ruby and Yang if he did, the ‘what ifs’ that swam around his head a thousand times… They all came back sooner or later.

He’d been a fool to think that moving would change that. Especially when Yang losing her arm had jarred loose a whole new set of worries and fears.

Zwei hopped on the couch next to Qrow and nuzzled up against him. Qrow stroked Zwei absently, his gaze still on the news but not really absorbing anything. Zwei helped, a little. His warmth and wriggling reminding Qrow that he was still there, in this room. That there was a present, and not just the past, warped a thousand times over from his own nightmares.

* * *

 

Yang and Ruby waved goodbye to Ren and Nora, who were dragged in by Glynda for lunch. They’d been out at the park for hours, playing catch and chasing each other around the fields. Yang’s aim was starting to get pretty good again – she’d only been missing by ten or fifteen feet at a time, and Nora and Ruby had had a lot of fun diving after the Frisbee and baseball they were tossing around.

Stretching her arms over her head, Ruby sighed as she and Yang walked back toward their house. “That was fun,” she said.

“Yeah,” said Yang, stretching as well. She frowned a bit. “Hey Ruby?”

“Yeah?”

“When was the last time Uncle Qrow had such a bad day?” asked Yang.

Ruby thought about it, lips pursed and brow furrowed. It was hard to tell, because Uncle Qrow was usually a lot better at hiding it. And they didn’t usually hit him this bad, either. She thought maybe the move had jarred something loose.

“I think…” Ruby pressed her lips together. “It was when you went into the hospital,” said Ruby, her voice going soft. “When we got kicked out while you were in surgery because Uncle Qrow was threatening the staff.”

Yang winced. “That… would explain why I don’t remember it.” She rubbed the back of her neck with her right hand. “Was he really that bad?”

“Worse,” said Ruby, still quiet. “I had to stay with a neighbour because he tore apart the house.” She shook her head. “I’ve never _seen_ him like that. Not before or after. He thought you were going to die and that we wouldn’t get to say _goodbye_.” Her voice broke on the last word, lips trembling and vision blurred with tears.

“Hey, hey,” said Yang, pulling Ruby into a tight hug. They stopped walking, clinging to each other. Ruby sniffled into Yang’s shoulder, lips still trembling. “I’m here, right?” said Yang, pulling back. “And I’m not going anywhere.”

“You better not,” mumbled Ruby, wiping at her eyes.

“Are you two all right?” The girls turned as one to see Mr. Ironwood and Penny coming down the street. It was Mr. Ironwood that spoke. Ruby managed a little smile and pulled back from Yang completely.

“Yeah, Mr. Ironwood, we’re okay,” said Ruby. She blinked a few times to make sure the tears were gone. “Just a rough morning, I guess.”

Mr. Ironwood nodded. There was a softness in his eyes that made Ruby feel a bit better. “Oh? Is there anything I can do to help?”

Yang shook her head, but Ruby said, “You could check on Uncle Qrow, I guess. He’s not doing so great.”

“Is everything okay?” asked Penny, peeking around Mr. Ironwood.

Ruby smiled at Penny. “Yeah, he’ll be okay. Just having a bad day.”

Penny nodded in understanding. “I have those.”

Mr. Ironwood pinched his eyebrows together and looked between the three of them. He seemed stumped, for a couple seconds, on what to do.

“Why don’t you girls head back to our place?” he asked, flashing a smile at Ruby and Yang. “Penny, you could show them your new video game.”

Penny perked. “Do you like Mario Kart?”

“Love it,” sing-songed Yang, grinning. She cocked her head to one side. “I wonder if I can still play.”

Ruby giggled and looked up at Mr. Ironwood. “What are you going to do, Mr. Ironwood?”

“I think I’ll go check on your uncle,” he said. Ruby nodded and followed Penny and Yang, who were already heading back toward Penny’s house.

“Good luck!” Ruby called back to him.

* * *

 

James hesitated on the doorstep of Qrow’s house. He wasn’t sure if he should knock or not. Wasn’t sure if Qrow would answer, if he did. He’d seen the strained look in Ruby’s eye when she said Qrow had been having a bad day. He’d seen the way the girls had hugged each other tightly before he’d walked up.

Bad day probably didn’t begin to describe what was going on with Qrow at the moment. Not that James was judging, no. In fact, he could relate. Even now, almost twelve years later, he still woke up from nightmares from time to time. Nightmares that marked when he lost his right side. When he’d almost lost Penny. He hadn’t lied to Qrow, about SchneeCorp giving him a discount on his arm. But he also hadn’t told the whole truth.

The truth that he designed just about all of their advanced prosthetics. The truth that he had worked for them for years after the accident – and still did, in fact. The truth that he’d designed the very arm Yang wore and he’d known instantly what had been wrong with its calibrations.

She’d punched something – presumably a wall – at least a few days before the move. Strained the pneumatics and joints. James hadn’t said anything, just fixed it that day in the grocery store.

He knew what it was like, to want to feel something. Couldn’t blame her or judge her for doing something he’d done a dozen times. Perhaps more.

James knocked. He didn’t know if Qrow would answer. Frankly, didn’t expect him to. But he knocked nonetheless. The car was in the driveway, so he was probably home.

There was no response.

James knocked again, more just in hope that Qrow might acknowledge him somehow. If he walked away from the house and Qrow turned out to be in trouble, he’d be hard pressed to forgive himself.

“Qrow?” called James through the door. “It’s just me. I wanted to see if you were all right.”

There was a pause. Painfully long, by James’ standards.

The door opened.

Standing before him, hunched over and wrapped in a throw blanket, was Qrow. Zwei zipped out between their legs, silent as ever.

James didn’t know what to say. He hadn’t expected Qrow to open the door. There was a haunted look to Qrow’s eyes. Eyes that were bloodshot and had bags beneath them. A haggard look to his appearance.

Exhaustion and pain marred his every movement.

“Hi,” said James, his voice soft. Zwei zipped back into the house, brushing James’ legs as he went.

Qrow blinked, slow and sleepy. “Could you… keep the girls until after dinner?” he asked, his voice rough. He was shaking, James realized, and half of him longed to put his arms around Qrow and hug the smaller man. He’d been where Qrow was, in one way or another. When the nightmares wouldn’t let up and it was all you could do just to stay afloat.

“I don’t want them to see me like this,” said Qrow, voice raspy. James knew the girls knew part of it, but he didn’t know how much. But the look in Ruby’s eyes said that maybe Qrow couldn’t hide anything from those girls. He wasn’t going to tell Qrow that, however. It wasn’t his burden to place on the man.

“Of course,” said James. He hesitated. “You’re not… going to do anything rash, are you?”

Qrow chuckled, but it was dark sound, not a cheery one. “Nah.” He didn’t offer any further explanation. James didn’t ask for any, either.

“If you need anything,” said James. He trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m here for you, Qrow. I may not know exactly what you’re going through, but I can help.”

Qrow nodded. “Thanks,” he said. Then he shut the door, slow and deliberate.

James turned and walked back to his house. He couldn’t shake the haunted look in Qrow’s eyes the entire walk home.


	5. First Clash

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Qrow takes Ruby and Yang back to school shopping. It goes well, until it doesn't.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time to show off the differences in Qrow's and James' parenting styles. I assure you, all will be explained in due time.

Two days later, Qrow was doing better. He still wasn’t _fine_ – the girls were making all their own meals and he slept a lot more than he should have – but he wasn’t climbing the walls or trying to drown himself in cheap beer. So, that was a plus.

Instead, he ended up taking the girls back to school shopping. Sure he was still a little shaky, and he kept his hands stuffed in his pockets to hide the most obvious of his hangover symptoms when he wasn’t pushing the cart. But he was sober, he was focused, and he got to spend time with the girls. That was what was most important.

“Uncle Qrow!” called Ruby from down the aisle. Qrow leaned on the cart and grinned at her. She was waving around some notebooks with wolves on them. “Can I get them?”

“Sure,” said Qrow. He glanced at the cart, which was half full of supplies. New backpacks, some new clothes, lots of pencils and papers and such. Even a new ink cartridge for the printer – something he never would have thought of. And while he was happy to buy all these things for the girls, he couldn’t help but wince at some of the prices.

He still didn’t have a job. And the insurance money wasn’t going to last too much longer at this rate. He needed to start handing out more resumes. Presuming he could hold down a steady job with his nightmares being back.

“Mommy,” Qrow heard a little girl whisper. “How come that girl’s arm is yellow?”

Qrow saw Yang’s hands still. She was down the aisle, sorting through socks. She was in short sleeves today, loose and hanging around the elbow. So far, that was the only comment they’d gotten. Though Qrow had seen some looks that Yang hadn’t. Mostly he’d just glared at them until those people had hurried along, heads down.

When Qrow looked over at the mother and her daughter, he saw the mother looking more than a little lost. He chuckled softly.

“She lost it in an accident,” said Qrow, easily. He smiled at the two, as paternal as he could muster. “But we got her a new one, so she could keep playing games with her sister.”

The little girl nodded, looking thoughtful. “Was it a bad accident?” she asked.

“Very,” said Qrow, his gaze on the little girl. “She’s very lucky to be happy and safe again.”

The little girl nodded again. “Okay.” Then, to Yang, “Your arm is really cool.”

Yang smiled. “Thanks,” she said. The little girl grabbed her mother’s arm and dragged her away, the mother smiling fondly as they went.

“Happy and safe?” echoed Yang.

“Aren’t you?” asked Qrow. There was a genuine twitch to his voice that he only just caught.

Yang nodded. “Yeah,” she said. “I am.”

“Good,” said Qrow. “You deserve to be.”

Ruby came back around the corner, wielding highlighters and fuzzy pens. She stared at Qrow hopefully and he nodded, gesturing to the cart.

“Don’t forget clothes, kid,” said Qrow. “You need some new pants.”

Ruby rolled her eyes. “Says you. You own like, three shirts.”

“That’s not the point,” said Qrow. He owned more than three shirts. It was just that he only owned three _different_ shirts. He had like six copies of his grey button-up shirt. It was his favourite. “The point is that most of your pants are worn through at the knees. My clothes are fine.”

Ruby sighed. “Fine,” she said. “Hate clothes shopping.” She stalked off toward the clothes department, dragging her feet. Qrow shook his head.

“You need at least three pairs!” he called, pushing the cart after her.

“Yeah, yeah,” Ruby called back, disappearing around a corner.

Qrow followed after her. When he turned the corner, he caught sight of Penny rushing toward Ruby and skidding to a stop before her. She snapped a two-fingered salute at Ruby, who returned the gesture. Both girls giggled.

“Penny, what’re you doing here?” asked Ruby.

Penny smiled. Qrow saw her eyes flick to the sundresses behind Ruby. “I’m buying new clothes,” said Penny. “Mostly dresses.”

“You really like dresses,” said Ruby. She grinned. “Oooh. What about a green dress? Do you have any?”

Penny shook her head.

“We should get you one then! It’d look awesome with your hair,” said Ruby.

“May we?” asked Penny. Her gaze flicked over to James, who’d been watching the two. Qrow pressed closer with his cart, unable to hide his smile at their appearance.

“Sure,” said James. “I’ll be around. Text if you need me.” The girls nodded and took off. Leaving Qrow and James alone in the aisle. It took a second, but James looked up and caught Qrow’s gaze. Immediately, he smiled. Qrow felt a larger one tug onto his face.

James had that effect on him.

“Hey,” said Qrow.

“Hello,” said James. “Feeling better today?”

Qrow nodded, ducking his head. “Yeah,” he said, voice a little hoarse. “Much.” Maybe not _much_ , but James didn’t need to know that. He’d been enough of a burden already. “Sorry about… everything.”

“Don’t be,” said James. And the earnestness in his voice made Qrow look up. The warmth in those blue eyes made the tension slide right out of Qrow’s body. “We all have our days.”

“Yeah…,” said Qrow, softly.

“Hey, Uncle Qro-” Yang’s words abruptly cut off as she came around the corner behind Qrow. “Oh, hey Mr. Ironwood.”

“Hello, Yang,” said James. Qrow turned to her.

“You know, you and Mr. Ironwood spend a lot of time together,” said Yang.

“What of it?” asked Qrow. They really didn’t, did they? Part of it was just that Penny and Ruby got along so well. But Qrow enjoyed James’ company. He hoped he wasn’t intruding on the man’s life too badly.

Yang shrugged, a twinkle in her eye. “Nothing. It’s important to have a strong support network, Uncle Qrow.” Her voice took on a mocking tone. “After all, trauma can often have adverse effects on your mental health.”

Qrow rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. If you’re gonna quote me, pick something less recent, kid. It’d be more impressive. Now, what’d you want?”

Yang held up her phone between her yellow fingers. “Sun just texted me. He wants to know if I can go see Space Mummies 3 with him and Neptune.”

“You got everything you need?” asked Qrow. He glanced back at the basket and tried not to cringe at the price tags.

“Yeah,” said Yang.

Qrow nodded. “All right, be home for dinner.”

“What’cha making?”

“Spaghetti,” said Qrow.

Yang punched a fist into the air. “Hell yeah!”

“Language,” admonished Qrow.

Yang gave him a flat look. “You say worse all the time.”

“Not in public I don’t,” said Qrow, running his fingers through his bangs.

Yang rolled her eyes. “Heck yeah,” she said, punching her fist only slightly up.

Qrow grinned. “That’s better. Now off ya go.”

“All right, I’m going,” said Yang. “Bye Uncle Qrow, later Mr. Ironwood.” She turned and headed down another aisle and back toward the door.

When Qrow turned back to James, the man had an amused look on his face.

“Kids,” said Qrow, drily.

“Space Mummies 3?” said James, raising an eyebrow.

Qrow chuckled. “She loves bad horror sci-fi, apparently so does the other blond.”

“Neptune hates horror movies,” said James, fondly. “That’s going to be a fun combination.” He paused for a moment. “So, quoting?”

Qrow nodded. “Back when she first got out of the hospital, she wasn’t doing so hot. I bought all these books about dealing with trauma and loss, looked up stuff on the internet.” He sighed. “I even talked to some war vets. Yang got to talk to them too, but it wasn’t the same kind of trauma. I used to say some pretty ridiculous stuff to get her to leave the house.” He chuckled. “I guess she’s just quoting me now.”

“How…?” James trailed off.

“Not my story to tell,” said Qrow. “If she wants you to know, she’ll tell you.”

James nodded. His gaze lingered on the spot where Yang had disappeared. He looked thoughtful, with his brow furrowed and his lips pursed. It was a good look on him.

“Can I ask you something?” asked Qrow, after a moment of silent.

James’ gaze returned to Qrow. He blinked. “Of course.”

Qrow jabbed a finger at James, frowning slightly. “There’s a ton of kids in this neighbourhood, and Sun seems like he likes Penny just fine. Why is it that Ruby’s her only real friend?”

James sighed and rubbed his left hand over his face. “They like her just fine,” agreed James. “And Penny likes them. But most of them…” He trailed off, cringed. “They can’t handle her for more than a few hours at a time.”

“That’s shit,” said Qrow, not bothering to hide the frustration in his voice.

“It is,” agreed James. “She’s wonderful and friendly and she loves making friends and telling people about what she likes. And most people…” He shook his head. The frustration in James’ voice was new. It dropped his pitch and left him sounding a little scratchy. Qrow tried not to be too attracted to it.

“They don’t understand her,” said James. “They don’t understand that she doesn’t like touching people or making eye contact. That you have to warn her when you’re changing plans unless it’s on her terms.” His hands clenched the handle of the cart so hard that Qrow heard it creak.

“What about school?” asked Qrow.

“She doesn’t go. I home school her,” said James.

Qrow frowned. “Don’t you think that’s making it worse?”

“No,” said James. There was a sharpness in his voice that made Qrow jump. “I don’t.”

Qrow opened his mouth to protest, only for Penny and Ruby to reappear, each carrying a couple of dresses.

“I tried them on,” said Penny. “They all fit and I look very pretty in them.”

“She really does,” said Ruby, grinning.

“May I get them?” asked Penny. Qrow saw her eyes flick to his necklace – a crooked cross – for a second.

“Sure, sweetheart,” said James. His gaze was still on Qrow. Penny and Ruby dumped the dresses into the cart. Penny fidgeted.

“There was something else,” said Penny.

Now James looked at her. “Yes?”

“Ruby is going back to school shopping,” said Penny. She rubbed one of her arms and looked at the floor. “But I do not go back to school shopping. Because I am homeschooled.”

“That’s right,” said James. Qrow frowned. What had Penny and Ruby been talking about?

“Do I have to be homeschooled?” asked Penny. Her eyes darted up and over James’ shoulder. “Ruby and I would be in the same grade. Yang and the other people in the neighbourhood all go to the same school.” Penny fidgeted again. “I think I would like to go to school with them.”

James frowned. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“But,” started Ruby.

“Do you remember what happened last time you went to school?” asked James.

Penny nodded.

“And you still think you should ask me this?” said James.

“…No, Father,” said Penny, softly. “I guess not.”

James sighed. “I think it’s time we went home. Come on, Penny.”

“But,” said Ruby again, as James and Penny went passed her. “Penny…”

“Don’t you think you’re overreacting?” asked Qrow, leaning against the cart and frowning. “Kid’s gotta grow up sometime.”

James turned and scowled at Qrow. “No, I don’t.”

“She obviously wants to go. Why not let her make the choice?” asked Qrow.

“Because it’s not her choice. Before you showed up, she never talked about school,” snapped James.

Qrow rolled his eyes. “Maybe that’s because she never had anyone she wanted to see at school before,” he shot back. “Why not let her make her own decision, for once? One bad experience shouldn’t destroy you for life.”

“She’s my daughter,” said James, voice raising. “Don’t tell me what to do with her. What do you even know about raising kids? You don’t _have_ kids.”

Qrow flinched like he’d been struck. Saw the way James’ expression faltered.

“Qrow…”

“Let’s go, Ruby,” said Qrow, his voice hoarse. He gripped the cart hard to hide the shaking in his hands. “Let’s go.” He shoved the cart down the aisle and away from James and Penny, ignoring the way James was looking at him, calling after him. Pity. He didn’t need pity. _Fuck_ his pity.

The check-out and drive home was silent. Ruby stared out the window. Qrow tried not to shake with rage. They didn’t talk until they got home.

Ruby said she was going to go put all her stuff away and throw Yang’s stuff on her bed. Then, she came back down to the kitchen, where Qrow was leaned against the counter, nursing a beer.

“He’s wrong, you know,” said Ruby. Qrow looked up. “Yang and I are just as much yours as we are Mom and Dad’s. Maybe we’re even more yours.” She crossed the room and hugged him, tightly. “Don’t let anyone tell you different, Uncle Qrow.”

Qrow set down his beer and blinked hard. Wrapped his arms tight around Ruby’s shoulders and buried his face in her hair. Sniffled.

They stood there for a while, clinging to each other. And they both pretended that the tears in Qrow’s eyes and in Ruby’s hair didn’t exist.


	6. Resilience

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yang talks to James and Qrow gets a job.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look, another update! And it's not horribly angsty this time! Enjoy.

Yang appeared on James’ driveway sometime the following afternoon with a look in her eye that James could only describe as “murder”. He had been working on an old car at the time – a project he enjoyed on his off days – when she’d stalked up to his garage and planted herself right in the entrance, square in front of his car.

“You’re an asshole,” she said. Voice sharp and blunt all at once.

James wiped his hands off on an old rag. “Weren’t you told to watch your language?” he asked. There was hesitation in his voice. He had a feeling on why she was here, but he didn’t know what she was going to do.

Yang scowled and stabbed a finger at him, accusingly. “You made my uncle cry. I’ll say whatever the fuck I want to you.” She folded her arms across her chest, voice dropping to a growl.

James stared. “He… what?”

“Yeah,” snapped Yang. “Ruby told me what you said to him at the store. What happened when they got home. You’re a god damn _asshole_.” Her lips curled back from her teeth, baring them in a snarl. “It’s one thing to say he’s not our father – _biologically_ he’s not – but to say he doesn’t have kids at all?” Yang threw her hands into the air. “Just what the hell do you think Ruby and I are? Do you think we go somewhere else to sleep?”

She slammed her prosthetic fist, clenched tight, into the hood of his car. He jumped, eyes wide. She’d left a dent.

“Who the fuck are you to say what’s family and what’s not?” Her voice went loud enough that it cracked. Her shoulders were heaving, her face red, and her hair hung around her in a curtain that wasn’t unlike fire. James swallowed hard. He might have had a hundred pounds and a foot on Yang – at _least_ – but he was sure, in that instant, that she could snap him in half if the thought struck her.

He’d dealt with a lot, working with Schnee and being in the military, but he couldn’t ever recall a time when a teenager had ever put him this on edge.

The dent in his car probably wasn’t helping matters.

Yang’s voice went low and dark, most of the anger gone subtle. “If you ever want to talk to my uncle again, you’re going to apologize to him.” She took five steps forward until she was in his personal space and looked up at him. Her fists were clenched at her sides. “No excuses. No saying you were right. You hurt you. You _will_ apologize.”

James asked, “Why do you think you can threaten me?” He knew his voice had gone defensive. He didn’t like being on edge. Didn’t like that Yang – a child – was trying to make him out to be a fool. Yes, he’d hurt Qrow, and yes, he was going to apologize. But did she really have to try and back him into a corner? He’d screwed up. He knew that. Why push it this far?

Yang grinned, all teeth. “You’re an over-protective father of a teenage girl and I’m missing an arm.” She shrugged. “Experience says that I could knock out all your teeth and you wouldn’t touch me.”

_Well_ , she wasn’t wrong, thought James. “You certainly seem to think you have me pegged.”

Yang raised an eyebrow. “Am I wrong?”

He sighed. “No, not in the least. Though I like to think I can stand up better to your threats than you seem to think I can.” He eyed his car. “The dent was a tad overdramatic.”

Yang grimaced. Rubbed the back of her neck. “Yeah, well. I was pissed off.”

“You’re not anymore?”

“Oh I am,” said Yang. “I’m actually debating if I can maim you and not get arrested.” She grinned. “But, I mean, you’re gonna apologize, right?”

James nodded. “Yes, I am.”

She shrugged. “Then fine, I’ll let it slide, this time. Uncle Qrow likes you too much for me to do any serious damage.”

James raised an eyebrow. “He likes me?”

“Oh yeah,” said Yang. “But he hasn’t had friends in years, so it’s not surprising. Besides,” she shrugged, “he called you a tree. So, bonus!”

The mood whiplash was making James’ head hurt He couldn’t believe this girl had gone from threatening to knock out his teeth to cracking jokes about her uncle with him in less than five minutes. He wanted to rewind the clock and see if anything that had just happened was real, of if he’d just imagined it. And tree? He was tall, of course, but why was tree a good thing?

“Look, Ruby told me something else you said, too,” said Yang. She leaned against his car, her hand resting on the dent.

“Oh?” said James. He leaned his hip against the door, frowning slightly.

“About you not wanting Penny to go to school,” said Yang.

James bristled. “I don’t think that’s really your business.”

“Ruby’s upset,” said Yang. She narrowed her eyes at him and flipped her bangs out of her face. “That makes it my business. Look, I get that something happened to Penny last time she went to school…”

“No,” said James, sharply, cutting her off. “You don’t. What happened to Penny last time she went to school was monstrous. I refuse to let there even be a _chance_ that it will be repeated.” He clenched his fists at his sides. “She’s safer here.”

“You can’t keep her safe forever,” Yang shot back. “Why not let her decide what she wants to do? It’s her life. Her education.”

“She doesn’t understand,” said James.

Yang jumped off the car and stood up straight. “And neither do we! We’re her friends, Mr. Ironwood. We love her, okay? It’s been two weeks and we already love her. She’s the most awesome person Ruby and I have ever met.” Yang flexed her hands in front of her. James saw the pinky on her right hand twitch feebly. She’d wrecked the calibrations when she’d punched his car. He’d have to show her how to fix that later.

And god, even when she was trying to argue with him, he wanted to help her out. It was impossible to stay mad at this family, wasn’t it?

“Penny wants to go to school,” said Yang, quietly. “It’s all she can talk to Ruby about. She’s got me and Ruby to kick the ass of anyone who comes after her.” Yang looked up at James with wide eyes. Her soft expression suited her much more than the angry one that had previously adorned her face. “She’s strong. She can do this.”

“How do you know?” asked James, quietly. “How do you know she can handle it?”

Yang held out her right arm. He saw the pinky twitch again. “I lost my mother, my parents, and my right arm. I lost my home and moved halfway across the country.” Yang smiled at him. “I’m still here, aren’t I?” said Yang. “If I wasn’t strong, I wouldn’t be. Ruby’s dealt with just as much, even if she’s still got all her limbs, and she’s still here too.”

She crossed the space between them and laid a hand on his arm. “She can do this. She survived. She’s here. She’s happy. And we’ll be with her every step of the way.” Yang smiled up at him. “Can you please just, think about it? And trust us?”

James hesitated. But he could feel his resolve crumbling at Yang’s words. “I’ll think about it,” he said, finally.

Yang grinned. “Awesome!” She pumped her fists into the air. “Now, show me what you’re working on.”

James raised an eyebrow. “You know cars?”

Yang gave him an incredulous look. “ _Dude._ ”

“All right, all right,” said James, chuckling. “Let’s get to work.”

* * *

 

Qrow drummed his fingers nervously on the bar counter, looking around. This place was fancy – way too fancy for him. He was in his best clothes and he still felt underdressed. There was no way this place would hire him, but he didn’t have many other options. Besides, Summer had known the owners, once upon a time, and he’d brought in a picture with his resume when he’d requested to speak with the manager.

Lisa Lavender, a woman a few years Qrow’s senior, strolled out of the back room. Qrow straightened and smiled, trying to look like he wasn’t silently freaking out. He’d been waiting almost half an hour.

“Sorry about that,” said Lisa. “I was calling some of your references.” Qrow nodded. That was a good sign, right? She set down the picture and his resume on the counter. “They seem to think you’re the best thing to ever happen to them.”

Qrow shrugged. “I worked hard.”

“Do you still?” she asked. Qrow nodded. Lisa hummed. “Summer told me about you, once. How you were driven and charismatic, could talk people in and out of anything.” Her fingers trailed the picture.

“Can’t believe you’re the only one of ‘em that never ended up with Tai.” She grinned at him. “You’re the best looking one out of the bunch.”

Qrow chuckled. “Thanks, you’re not so bad yourself.”

Lisa smirked. “You’ve got an impressive resume, references that think you’re god’s gift to bar tending, and a glowing review from my late best friend.” She shook her head. “What’s the downside?”

“I’ve got two kids,” said Qrow. “And I can’t be out all night.”

Lisa nodded, lips pursed thoughtfully. “All right,” she said, slowly. “I don’t usually do this, but I’m short bar tenders and I need to fill the 6-12 slot with a good performer. You can do that?” Qrow nodded. “Okay, you mix me my favourite drink, you’ve got the job.”

Qrow grinned, swapped places with Lisa, and set to work. He put on a whole performance for her, juggling and tossing and giving his flourishes their casual flair. He winked at her, once, catching a tumbler behind him, which got her laughing in surprise.

He set down the drink, complete with little umbrella and lime, and waited as she took a sip.

Lisa hummed. “A talented performer who makes an excellent drink.” She nodded. “I’m sold. Sunday to Thursday nights – five days a week – six to midnight. Starting pay is twenty bucks an hour, plus tips. We have a dress code.”

Qrow nodded, eyes wide with disbelief. “Of course,” he said.

“I’ll get you the paperwork and everything else you need,” said Lisa. She stood and came back around the counter, heading for the door. “Oh, and Qrow?”

He looked up, eyebrows raised in question.

“It’s good to see one of you is still around,” said Lisa, softly. Qrow nodded, a small, sad smile on his face.

As Lisa disappeared into the back, Qrow leaned against the counter and grinned. He’d gotten the job, and at a pretty swank place to boot. He’d be making good money, and he wouldn’t be away from the girls on Fridays or Saturdays. It was perfect.

Maybe his luck was finally starting to look up, after all.


	7. First Day Jitters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let the relationship development begin.

As much as it terrified him, James eventually relented. Penny would be attending school with Ruby and Yang after all. He spent the week before school began talking to counsellors, the principal, and the various education assistants to make sure Penny had everything she needed. From a safe room, to support, to the ability to use the special bathrooms. Anything and everything, and she only had to use what she wanted. The rest was just there to make sure Penny had a safety net.

But even knowing that, he was terrified. Penny hadn’t been in typical school since she was twelve years old. With his freelance work, various degrees, and occasional trips to Atlas City to visit Schnee Corp, it’d been easy enough to home school her for the last three and a half years. And, more than that, he’d enjoyed the structure that Penny’s studies had provided his day.

So, the morning he dropped off Penny for her first day of school, James could feel his hands shaking.

“Goodbye, Father,” said Penny. She gave him her customary salute as she climbed out of the car, bag over her shoulders. “I shall see you at two-forty.”

James nodded, forcing a smile to quell his nerves. “Ruby and Yang will be here soon, right?”

“Yes, they will be here in five minutes. Ruby texted me.” Penny held up her phone.

“Good,” said James. “Have a good day, Penny.” He paused, then added, “I love you.”

Penny beamed. “I love you too!” she said, perkily. Then she ran off toward the flag pole, where she had said she would wait for Ruby and Yang the night before.

James watched her go, his chest tight, and forced himself to drive off instead of sitting there, watching her, until Ruby and Yang arrived.

He made it a block before he pulled over and texted her.

_“Still okay?”_ he texted. He waited, one hand clenched on the steering wheel, for her response.

Twenty-six seconds later – he watched the time on his phone – Penny’s response came through.

_“Yup. Ruby and Yang just arrived. We are going to jog around the track twice before going inside.”_

James felt himself relax, the tension leaving his shoulders. She wasn’t alone. That was what was important. She had refused a personal EA, quite adamantly in fact, and so James had taken great pains to make sure she was in all of Ruby’s classes. It hadn’t been hard. Ruby had whole-heartedly agreed.

Maybe it wasn’t fair to Ruby, to have her be part of Penny’s support system, but both girls had been so adamant that James couldn’t find it in him to refuse. And the principal, a lovely woman by the name of Peach, had been more than happy to arrange their schedules together.

Taking a deep breath, James headed for home. There was nothing else he could do for now. At two-forty, he’d pick up Penny. Until then, worrying would only make it worse.

* * *

 

James slowed the SUV as he approached Qrow’s house, hesitating. He wondered if Qrow would be awake – Ruby and Yang took the bus, after all. And that reminded him, he should ask the girls if they wanted a ride to school from now on. James was fine with driving Penny every day. No reason not to ask Ruby and Yang if they wanted a lift as well.

Taking a breath, James parked his SUV and walked up the pathway to Qrow’s house. Perhaps the man would be available. He was a good distraction, and besides, he’d already apologized for his day in the grocery store a dozen times. Qrow seemed amiable enough toward him now.

Three raps on the door and Qrow was opening it. He squinted up at James, his bangs slicked back. The look suited Qrow. It gave him a mischievous air that was very attractive, if James thought about it for long.

Not that he found Qrow _attractive_ , mind you, it was just asking for trouble. Good friends were hard to come by.

“Mornin’, Jimmy,” said Qrow. He stepped back and let James into the house.

“James,” grumbled James. He followed Qrow into the house. Zwei looked up from his position on the couch and gave a quiet bark before settling again.

“Penny get to school, okay?” asked Qrow. He led James to the kitchen and poured them both a coffee, which James took gratefully.

“Yes, she seems happy too,” said James. He sighed. “I can’t help but worry, however.”

Qrow hummed and leaned against the counter. He was still in pyjamas, and the low slung sweats, combined with his t-shirt riding up, revealed a thin line of pale skin that drew James’ eye more than he cared to think about.

He cleared his throat and focused on his coffee.

“She’ll be fine. She’s a tough kid,” said Qrow. His gaze had a twinkle in it, one that James wasn’t sure what to make of.

“So people keep telling me,” murmured James.

“Hey,” said Qrow. He reached out and laid a hand on James’ left shoulder. “I’m not kidding. I’ve known that kid for a couple weeks now, and she’s damn strong.” Qrow’s eyes were soft. “Whatever happened before, she’s past it. She can handle herself.”

James pressed her lips tightly together. “And if she can’t?”

“Then you’ll be there for her,” said Qrow. “And so will Ruby, and Yang, and myself. If she falls – and that’s a big if, Jimmy – we’ll catch her.”

James drank deeply from his coffee to avoid having to think of what to say for a minute. When he finally did find the words, he found Qrow was staring at him.

“How do you do it?” asked James, his voice quiet.

“Do what?” asked Qrow.

James pressed his lips together. “Let them go off on their own, knowing they could crash and burn.”

Qrow was silent for a moment. Long enough that James began to worry. But, finally, Qrow said something.

“You know how Yang’s arm is a recent injury?” asked Qrow, quietly.

James turned slightly so that he was fully facing Qrow. Schooled his face so that his surprise didn’t show. “Yes.”

“I can’t tell you exactly what happened – that’s her business,” said Qrow. “But I can tell you _why_ it happened.” Qrow took a deep breath, his eyes closed. “I’ve always let the girls explore who they are. Be who they want to be, and all that. But one night, I flat out said no to Yang. I didn’t offer reason or explanation or anything. I just told her no, end of story.” He opened his eyes. Leaned harder against the counter. Stared at the wall instead of at James. “She threw her phone at me and walked out. Screamed I wasn’t her father.” He laughed, but it was a bitter sound.

Qrow sighed. “There was an accident. She couldn’t call anyone. If…” His voice cracked. “If Ruby hadn’t followed her – stolen my god damn car and followed her – Yang would have died that night. And it would have been all _my_ fault.”

Qrow blinked hard and James saw tears collecting in the man’s eyes. He averted his gaze to be polite.

“So it’s not a matter of hiding them from the world, Jimmy,” said Qrow. “It’s a matter of showing them how to be safe and explaining the monsters. Because if they wanna go, they will. And you can’t stop them.” Qrow shook his head. “God knows I had to learn that the hard way.”

James reached out, hesitantly, and rested a hand on Qrow’s shoulder. “She doesn’t seem to hold any ill will toward you,” he said, slowly.

“She doesn’t,” agreed Qrow. The man gripped his coffee cup harder. “Neither one of them does. They don’t _get_ it.”

“Get what?” asked James.

Qrow laughed, sharp and bitter. “It’s all my fault. It always is. That’s why we’re broken to begin with.”

James didn’t have anything to say to that. He wondered how much of this Qrow meant to say and how much was just spilling out because it had nowhere else to go.

“Have you eaten today?” asked James, changing the subject. “Or last night?” Qrow shook his head.

James sighed. “Well, I’ll have you know I make a mean dinosaur pancake, how about I make us some?” asked James.

Qrow nodded and allowed himself to be led to the dining table. James sat him down, grabbed him a glass of water, and set to work.

* * *

 

After Qrow got some food into him, he lightened up, and the two men ended up trading horror stories about raising kids for a few hours. James thought Qrow’s story about Ruby and the Jello took the cake, but Qrow argued that Penny’s adventures in kites were just as good.

Before long, it was time to go get Penny from school and James sent her a text asking if Ruby and Yang wanted a ride home as well. When he got the affirmative, he asked Qrow if he wanted to join him, and the two, plus Zwei, set off to the school in James’ SUV.

“Father!” called Penny, running toward the SUV as they pulled up. Ruby and Yang were right behind her, laughing. James caught the slight tightness in Yang’s shoulders, despite her easy laugh.

The girls piled into the backseat – James noticed that Ruby was careful not to jostle Penny, and he found himself smiling.

“How was your first day?” asked James.

“Fantastic,” said Penny. “The teachers were very lovely and I sat next to Ruby in all my classes.”

Ruby grinned. “It was so cool. Penny had to leave the classroom once and no one was upset or anything.”

“Oh?” said James. A sharp spike of worry travelled down his spine. “Are you all right?”

“I am fine,” said Penny. “I was bumped in Math class and I needed to wash my hands to stop shaking.” She smiled. “But the girl apologized afterward.”

“Her name’s Neo,” said Ruby. “And she can’t talk. So she’s gonna teach us sign language so we can hang out with her at lunch.”

James pulled out of the parking lot and started home. “Sounds like you had a fun day,” he said.

“What about you, Yang?” asked Qrow. He pivoted around in his seat to look at her. James took the next corner carefully to avoid knocking Qrow around.

“It was fine,” said Yang, shrugging. “People stared. Ren and Nora ate lunch with the three of us. No big.”

“Yang,” said Qrow.

Yang rolled her eyes. “Oh come on, we knew people were gonna stare, Uncle Qrow. Just be happy I didn’t punch anyone. They kept asking how strong it was.” She slumped in her seat, arms folded. “I’ll show them _strong_.”

“I thought you’d eat with Sun and Neptune,” said James, slowly. He thought it was a safe topic.

Yang raised an eyebrow, which he caught in his rear view mirror. “They spent all of lunch making out in one of the staircases.”

Qrow grinned, chuckling as he turned back in his seat. “Ah, young love,” said Qrow, the dryness in his tone making James fight a snort.

“We walked by them, once,” said Penny. “They did not seem to notice us.” She had her head tilted to one side and her lips pursed.

“He never does up his shirt,” whispered Ruby.

Penny nodded. “The teachers kept yelling at him.”

“He kept yelling ‘sexist dress code’ back at them,” said Ruby. The girls dissolved into giggles.

“Well, I’m glad you all had fun,” said James. He looked to Qrow out of the corner of his eye. “Why don’t we all have dinner together? It’s a lovely night, we could eat in our backyard, Penny.”

“Oh yes!” said Penny, bouncing slightly in her seat. “That sounds wonderful.”

“I’m in,” said Yang.

“Woohoo!” said Ruby. “Please, Uncle Qrow?”

Qrow shrugged. “Sure.”

James smiled at Qrow, and saw the way Qrow’s eyes went soft when he smiled back at James. After their conversation today, James found he had a newfound respect for Qrow and his struggles. And he couldn’t help but want to lessen the burden that Qrow seemed to deal with. He couldn’t help with everything, but maybe by being a friend, and by keeping Qrow engaged with the world outside his nieces and his job, he could do a little.

And really, thought James, seeing the way Qrow laughed at one of Ruby’s stories, every little bit helped.


	8. Fall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -chuckles evilly-

The first few weeks of school bled summer into fall, and Qrow found his luck had well and truly turned around. His job was going well, the girls were adjusting easily to their new home, and his friendship with James seemed to have made it past those first few stumbling blocks. As the leaves began to change colour and the first week of October came around, Qrow could honestly say that he hadn’t felt this good in years.

It helped, he thought, that he tended to just call James whenever he felt the urge to get into hard liquor. Beer remained a mainstay in the house, but he was staying away from whiskey and vodka at least, which used to be a staple in the fridge. He knew the girls were appreciative as well.

So when Qrow woke up that morning in a great mood, he decided it’d be good to check out the farmer’s market before it closed up in a few weeks. It was a Saturday, but Yang and Ruby both had plans. Ruby and Penny were going to the indoor wave pool downtown with Ren, Nora, and Glynda, and Yang was doing… something with Neptune and Sun. Qrow wasn’t sure what it was, but Yang assured him it wasn’t dangerous and was _mostly_ legal, so he was inclined to let it go.

Once the girls were gone, Qrow clipped a leash to Zwei and walked down to James’ place, where he tapped on the door. He wasn’t sure if James was busy today, but he figured it was worth a shot. The man was good company. And Qrow could probably talk him into carrying all the bags. Or maybe just the watermelon. He wasn’t picky.

James opened the door in a v-neck that made Qrow forget his name for a minute. He could see the spot where metal met flesh near his collarbone, and the spider web of pale, smooth scar tissue that surrounded it. He blinked a few times before figuring out that James was looking at him. And that James seemed rather uncomfortable.

“Morning, Jimmy,” said Qrow, looking up to grin at the man and his blue, blue eyes.

“James,” he replied. “And good morning to you too.”

Qrow shifted Zwei’s leash to his other hand. Tried not to stare at James’ throat and neck. He’d known about the arm, figured it went up to the shoulder, but now he saw the metal across his collarbone and wondered just how much of James was chrome.

“Was wondering if you were busy,” said Qrow. “Wanted to check out the Farmer’s Market and could use an extra set of hands.”

James glanced over his shoulder into the house, lips pressed together. “Well I do have some work…” Qrow felt his shoulder slump a bit. But then James looked back at him and smiled. “But I think I can put it off, let me get dressed.”

James disappeared into the house and Qrow, not knowing what to do, waited on the front porch. Zwei sniffed at James’ petunias, which hadn’t yet been touched by the growing cold.

After a few minutes, James reappeared in a black turtleneck and with his customary glove for his right hand. Qrow blinked. Hard. Of course he was aware that James was attractive – and that was as far as that thought went, they were _friends_ – but the turtleneck was giving him a whole new level.

“Right!” said Qrow, clearing his throat. “Walk?” James nodded, his brow furrowed slightly at, Qrow suspected, the slight crack in Qrow’s voice.

The two walked toward the farmer’s market, which was only six blocks away. It was good exercise, both for Qrow and for Zwei, who was often cooped up in the backyard. And James seemed to enjoy it as well.

“You ever been to the market?” asked Qrow as they walked.

James hummed. “From time to time. Penny likes their tomatoes.”

“Picky?” guessed Qrow.

“Incredibly,” said James. “Not that I mind, of course, and she’s very apologetic about not liking certain foods.”

Qrow nodded and kept one eye on Zwei, who was sniffing at a telephone pole near the sidewalk. “Well, guess I should get the tomatoes then.” He glanced over at James, who was smiling fondly at Zwei. Qrow knew he was staring. He cleared his throat, asked James about Penny’s schooling – the parts that Ruby didn’t bother to mention – and passed the next fifteen minutes with a decent excuse to keep looking at James for a little too long.

* * *

 

The market was crowded, but not unpleasantly so. Qrow and James slid through it together easily, keeping Zwei close and occasionally pulling each other out of the way of someone or something that cut too close. The warmth of James against his right side was pleasant – a reminder that the man was there, and solid. And in a turtleneck, which still wasn’t fair.

“Tomatoes?” said James, drawing Qrow from his thoughts. James pointed to the cart next to them, where an impressive display of tomatoes lay, piled high. Qrow wondered, idly, if he could get away with taking a few from the bottom of the pyramid, or if it would bring the whole thing down.

“Don’t you dare,” said James.

Qrow looked up at him, all false innocence. “What?”

James stabbed a finger at him, stopping just short of Qrow’s face. “I raised a teenage girl, Qrow, I know that look.”

“That’s good for the old ego,” quipped Qrow. He batted James’ hand away and grinned. “Don’t worry, I won’t.” He wanted to, but he wouldn’t. Wouldn’t be fair to the people running the cart, no matter how much he wanted to see those tomatoes go tumbling across the farmer’s market.

“Tomatoes,” said James, firmly. Qrow grinned wider.

“Tomatoes,” he agreed, a teasing tone to his voice.

James sighed. A long suffering thing that Qrow thought he’d probably practiced on Penny a hundred times before. Although, he couldn’t imagine Penny doing something that would garner such a look. Ruby and Yang, on the other hand…

Well, Qrow had had a lot of practice on that particular sigh and look, over the years. Particularly so since they hit puberty. Although, Yang had always been more of a handful.

“Are the watermelons here any good?” asked Qrow as they piled some tomatoes into a little bag.

James raised an eyebrow at him and handed Qrow another tomato. “You’re going to carry a watermelon for the rest of the day?”

Qrow’s lips twitched. “Oh, _I’m_ not.”

“You could just ask,” said James. “I will, but you could just ask.” Qrow grinned and threw an arm around James’ shoulders for a quick, one-armed, totally-manly hug. He felt the way the man stiffened in surprise and Qrow let go. Overstepped, _shit_.

“Let’s find us some watermelons,” said Qrow, clearing his throat.

Together, the two headed through the farmer’s market, studying fruits and vegetables together as though it was a matter of serious business. They discussed squashes, listened to honeydew – although neither one of them liked honeydew, they discovered, after buying four – and Qrow even juggled some apples for James, who laughed until Qrow dropped them and had to pay for them.

All in all, in it was the best morning Qrow had had in a long time, and he couldn’t help but grin and laugh at every little thing. Because this? This was why he’d moved. This was why he was trying. For the days that made everything shine a little brighter. For the days that could light up the darkness, no matter how far he fell. It was nice, knowing that there were days like this. And that those days were growing more frequent and closer together.

But he tried not to dwell, and instead, he focused on the morning at hand. Enjoyed himself in the moment.

On their way back to the house, both of them laden down with bags and with Zwei sniffing at telephone poles, Qrow found himself staring at James.

“What?” asked James, when he finally noticed, only a few blocks from home.

“Thanks,” said Qrow. James furrowed his brow, so Qrow pressed on, “This was fun. I needed it.”

James smiled, a warm thing that touched the corners of his stupidly blue eyes. “It was fun,” agreed James. “We’re friends, Qrow, I’m almost always willing to spend time with you.”

Qrow cocked an eyebrow. “Almost?”

“I do need to work and sleep,” said James, drily. “And I have a daughter to raise.” He glanced up at his house as they approached it. Ruby and Penny were sitting on the porch, Ren and Nora sitting on the railing. Penny’s hands were flying, her face alight as she told a story.

“Although,” said James, his voice fond, “she seems to be finding more and more people to spend time with.”

Qrow smiled. “Yeah, good to see her and Ruby enjoying themselves so much.”

James nodded. Then, with a slight confused pinch to his face, asked, “Where’s Yang, today?”

“No idea,” said Qrow. James gave him a curious look. “But she told me it was mostly legal and not dangerous, so she’s probably fine. Plus, she’s with Sun and Neptune.”

“The resident trouble makers,” said James with a sigh, shaking his head. “And ‘mostly’ legal?” He cocked an eyebrow.

Qrow shrugged. “Jimmy, if you knew the stuff I got into as a teenager, you’d know mostly legal is better than I ever did.”

James let out a soft laugh. “Ah, fair enough.” He shook his head, and Qrow found himself smiling at James’ easy expression.

“Father!” Penny’s voice rose to great them as they approached. “Oh! Did you get blueberries?”

“Lots,” said James, holding up one bag. “Do you want to help us put these away? Then I can start on lunch.” Penny nodded and took the bags from James, calling for Ruby to follow her into the kitchen.

That left Qrow eyeing Nora and Ren, who looked far too innocent for Qrow’s liking.

“You wanna make five bucks?” asked Qrow. Nora perked. He held out the bags. “My door’s unlocked – you know the house – go put these in the fridge without breaking anything and I’ll give you five bucks.” Nora took the bags.

“Come on, Ren!” shouted Nora, running off.

Ren sighed. “Nora! We get a forty dollar allowance every month.” He looked at Qrow, sighed again, and jogged after her. Qrow was amazed at how much exhaustion the kid managed to get into the motion. He wondered if Ren ever slept. Or if Nora did, for that matter.

It was pretty obvious who was faring better from the deal.

“So,” said James, now that they were alone. “Want to help me make lunch?”

Qrow laughed. “Lead on, Jimmy, lead on.”

“It’s James,” said James, but his voice was fond, and his voice was light. And as Qrow stared up at James, he realized how close they were. And he felt his cheeks heat and saw the way James’ breath hitched.

And they stared at each other. Neither one daring to move. Barely daring to breathe.

Then Penny was shouting that they were done putting the groceries away. The moment lost, James stepped back from Qrow, something unreadable in his eyes, and darted off into the house. It wasn’t quite fleeing, but Qrow thought the message was pretty clear.

He slumped against the railing of James’ porch for a moment. Put one hand on his face and took a few deep breaths.

_He’s your friend_ , he told himself. _Get a grip_.

But, for a moment, those blue, blue eyes had captured him. And he thought he’d captured James as well.

_Stupid_ , he thought.

He collected himself and headed into James’ house. He had teenagers to pay and lunch to make, after all, awkwardness be damned.

So much for his perfect morning.


	9. Phone Calls in the Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sleepover time!

The tension between Qrow and James was thin, but present. They refused to stand close to each other, started finding excuses not to be alone together for long periods of time, and generally just avoided each other unless they had to be together. It was taking a toll on their friendship, and a toll on Qrow. He was spending far too much time alone again. And the familiar prickle of want and need for something stronger than a beer was a scream inside his head, sometimes louder than his own thoughts.

So when Ruby and Penny suggested a sleepover party the following Saturday, Qrow was all for it. Taking care of a bunch of teenagers would keep him busy enough to stay away from the liquor store for the night. Maybe not block out the want, but at least the ability to follow through.

So Nora, Ren, and Penny all ended up at Qrow’s house that night. Yang was off at Sun and Neptune’s for the night – Qrow had told her to take condoms, Yang had looked horrified and thrown a book at him, it’d been worth it – so that meant he had four teens to take care of.

Qrow ended up in the kitchen, making nachos and a special dip, while the four watched _Treasure Planet_ on the big screen in the living room. He heard them shouting at Jim Hawkins more than once – and maybe if (and that was a big if) he and James made up, he’d have a new nickname for him – and it made him smile.

When he brought out the nachos and dip, he was sure to also bring out the bag of chips he’d grabbed special for Penny. She flashed a smile at him and took the chips, nibbling on one or two, while eyeing the nachos.

“Do they have peppers in them?” she asked.

“The left ones do, the right ones are just tomatoes, cheese, and chicken,” said Qrow. “And I used that one spice you like instead of the others.”

Penny perked and grabbed a nacho. “These are really good,” she said. “Thank you, Mr. Branwen.” She snuggled into her chair and munched on the nachos.

“Sure thing,” said Qrow. “Rest of you good?” He looked to the couch, where Nora was half on top of Ren, trying to steal his food, and Ruby was lying upside down, her feet dangling as she watched the movie.

“Yup,” said Ruby.

“All good,” said Nora. She grabbed the chip and sat down on Ren’s stomach.

He stared at Qrow with long-suffering eyes. “Please, help me.”

Qrow raised an eyebrow, shrugged, and headed back to the kitchen. Ren could handle the girls. He hoped. Either way, the kid had a lot more experience with Nora than Qrow did.

Qrow tidied up the kitchen slowly, listening to the four teens chatting alongside the movie. More than once, he caught himself looking out the window, which pointed up the street, toward James’ house. It was a useless endeavour. Not just because Qrow and James weren’t speaking properly, but also because James was halfway across the state, in Atlas, attending a Schnee Corp convention as one of their freelancers.

Qrow sighed and glanced back toward the living room. He wondered if the kids would mind him sitting in with them. This was turning out to be a lot less work than he’d thought.

But even as the thought occurred to him, Penny was poking her head into the kitchen.

“Mr. Branwen?” she asked, her eyes a little wider than usual. Her gaze flicked over his shoulder, then settled on the sideways cross he wore.

“Hey, Penny,” he said. “Are you all right?”

“Um,” said Penny. She looked back toward the living room. Then at the cross. Then at the floor. “Um,” she said again. And right, James had told Qrow about this. How sometimes Penny got overwhelmed and couldn’t answer complex questions.

“Okay, let’s start small,” said Qrow. “Do you need to be alone?” Penny shook her head. “Do you want to sit in here with me?” She nodded. “Do you want a drink of water?” She nodded again. Qrow grabbed a glass and filled it up, sliding it toward Penny, who sat down at the little table.

“Others too loud?” asked Qrow. He leaned against the counter and kept his voice low, spoke slowly. Penny nodded, biting her lip. She ran her finger around and around the rim of the glass, her eyes following the movement.

“It’s no big deal,” said Qrow. “I was just going to wipe down the counters, then probably grab a book.”

A few minutes passed in silence. Qrow wiped down the counter and then picked up his book. He’d only gotten two pages in when Penny spoke again.

“What are you reading?” she asked.

Qrow looked up. She was still tracing the glass. The movements were slower now, less sharp and frantic. “Legends of the Owl Man,” said Qrow. “It’s a fairy tale about a time travelling wizard. It’s really good.” Penny nodded. “Would you uh, like me to read it to you?” he asked.

“Yes, please,” said Penny.

Qrow turned back to the beginning and started to read. He put on his narrator voice, the one he always did for fairy tales.

He’d only gotten six or seven pages in when Ruby poked her head into the kitchen. She smiled at Qrow and then turned her attention to Penny.

“Hey, you okay?” asked Ruby.

Penny nodded. “I am feeling much better now,” said Penny. “Your uncle helped a lot.”

“That’s good,” said Ruby. “You think you wanna come watch another movie? We were going to put on Tangled, your favourite.”

Penny bit her lip and glanced at Qrow, her gaze skittering over his shoulder. He smiled and nodded to her, placing the bookmark in his book and closing it.

“I, personally, would love to watch Tangled,” said Qrow.

Penny perked. “Then we’ll all watch it together,” she said, her voice cheerful once again. Qrow allowed the girls to walk out of the kitchen first. Ruby dropped onto the couch and Penny took the chair. Qrow took the floor, leaning against the edge of the couch that was closer to Penny.

She smiled at him, out of the corner of his eye, and he smiled back.

By the time the second movie was over, Nora was asleep against Ren and drooling, Ren was in tears over the ending (apparently he’d never seen the movie), and Ruby had eaten every snack on the table. Penny was silent, a little smile on her face, as she watched the end credits go by.

“That is a good movie,” said Penny. “I have now seen it thirty-seven times.”

“Good number,” said Qrow, nodding. “All right, I think you four are ready for bed.” He got up and clapped his hands together. Ruby whined and Nora stirred.

“But Uncle Qrow,” Ruby said.

“But nothing,” said Qrow. “It’s after midnight and you’re all ready to collapse. Come on, bed.”

The four got up – with Ren half-supporting Nora – and trudged up the stairs to Ruby and Yang’s room, where sleeping bags were laid out. As Qrow followed after them, something occurred to him.

“Penny, is there enough room for you in there?” he asked. The floor space couldn’t have been big enough for all three of them to sleep comfortably.

“I am sleeping on Yang’s bed,” said Penny. And, it occurred to Qrow then, that that was probably by design. Yang hadn’t mentioned wanting a sleepover until after Penny was coming over with Ren and Nora. She’d probably figured that there wasn’t enough space for Penny to sleep without being jostled and fixed it herself.

Damn, he had good kids – nieces, he corrected mentally. They were his nieces.

Qrow bid the four good night and headed to his own room, where he stared at the ceiling for a while in hopes that he’d fall asleep eventually.

He didn’t, and he was still awake when there was a rap at his door around two in the morning.

“Come in,” he called, setting down his book. The lamp beside his bed was on, and it bathed Penny in a soft glow when she peeked into the room. “Hey, Penny, what’s up?”

“…Can I call my father?” asked Penny in a tiny voice. She was trembling. Her lip wobbling and her eyes wet.

“Of course,” said Qrow, sitting up. “You wanna sit down?” She nodded and sat down at the end of the bed. Qrow grabbed his cellphone and punched in James’ cell number. Listened to it ring.

_“Hello?”_ said the groggy voice on the other end.

“Jimmy, it’s Qrow,” said Qrow. “Penny wanted to talk to you.” He handed the phone off to Penny and watched her sniffle and wipe at her eyes.

“Father,” said Penny, her voice trembling. “Yes, I’m okay. I had a bad dream and I woke up in Yang’s bed and not my bed.” A pause. “Yes, I am sure. I am fine for the rest of the weekend.” Another pause. “Mr. Branwen has been very nice. He’s a good father.” Qrow looked at his hands, eyes soft.

“Thank you, Father,” said Penny. “I love you too.” She handed the phone back to Qrow, and he saw the call was still going. She got up and left the room, offering him a little wave. He waved back.

“Hey, Jimmy,” said Qrow. “Sorry for waking you.”

_“It’s no problem,”_ said James. _“I’m always available for Penny.”_

Qrow chuckled. “Yeah, you’re a good dad.”

_“So are you,”_ said James. Qrow closed his eyes and leaned against the headboard. He smiled softly. He’d missed talking to James this last week. _“Listen, Qrow, I’m sorry for being so distant lately.”_

“It’s fine,” said Qrow. He opened his eyes and stared at the patterns the lamp made at the ceiling.

_“No, it’s not,”_ said James. _“We’re friends and I let…”_ He trailed off. _“It’s not important. The point is, I’d like to make it up to you. How about I make you a nice lunch later this week?”_

Qrow swallowed hard. What had James been about to say? What had he ‘let’?

“Sure,” said Qrow. “Sounds great.”

James chuckled over the receiver, and the warm sound released the last bit of tension in Qrow’s shoulders. _“Good night, Qrow,”_ said James.

“Night, Jim,” said Qrow, softly. “See you when you get back.”

Qrow hung up the phone and fell back on his bed, covering his face with his hands and groaning. The soft sound of James’ chuckle, laced with affection no doubt leftover from his conversation with Penny, made him want to scream from frustration. The man was hot. The man was _great_.

And Qrow was in way over his head.

* * *

 

Meanwhile, in Atlas, James hung up the phone and put his head in his hands, leaning over the side of the bed of his hotel. He gave a great sigh and scrubbed his fingers up through his hair.

“Dammit, James,” he muttered to himself. He’d also let slip what had happened. Almost told Qrow he’d nearly kissed the man a week before.

Qrow was gorgeous, and kind, and an incredible father. He also had a lot of baggage. But the more James learned about him, the less that last part seemed to bother him.

But Ruby was Penny’s best friend. And Qrow didn’t seem the type for relationships. And James didn’t know enough about the man to risk making a move.

So he vowed to make himself the best friend possible, and damn everything else. Because he could do that much, at least, without risking hurting his daughter’s friendship.


	10. Ignition

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _sings: this chapter went in a direction I didn't expect and I don't mind_
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> Seriously though, I really don't. Now I get to properly allude to shit before it happens.
> 
> Comments are appreciated!

Lunch ended up being canceled. Qrow understood – James had work to do, people to hold phone conferences with – but he couldn’t help but he disappointed and relieved all at once. Disappointed that he wasn’t spending more time with James. And relieved… that he wasn’t spending more time with James.

It was an odd mix, to be sure, but Qrow distracted himself from it by running errands that day. He needed to get groceries anyway.

So he made sure Zwei could get out to pee, grabbed his keys, and drove down to the bookstore. He needed a new cookbook. His other ones were dog-eared or falling apart or covered in food stuff that he really didn’t want to look at too closely.

Qrow pulled into the bookstore a little after eleven that morning. Cutting the engine, he hopped out of the car and walked up to the shop. It was a quaint thing, with a nice front and an apartment above it. Qrow assumed the owner – a guy named Tukson if the sign was anything to go by – probably lived there.

The door gave a little jingle as he opened it, and the other customer looked back at him from where he was leaning against the counter.

“Qrow,” said Bart, his face splitting in a wide smile. “Good to see you.”

“Hey, doc,” said Qrow. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and walked up the aisle to him. “What’re you doing here?”

Bart gestured to the door that led to the back room, where Qrow assumed Tukson was. “I had a doctor’s appointment this morning and took the day off. Tukson and I have known each other since he was a student of mine. He finds me rare books.”

Qrow nodded, a little disoriented by how _fast_ Bart could talk.

“Doctor’s appointment?” echoed Qrow. “Thought you could handle that stuff yourself. Or are you not that kind of doctor?” He headed back down one of the aisles, picking his way through cookbooks. There was a cool one on vegetarian meals he grabbed. Penny loved vegetables and only liked chicken, so maybe this book would help out. She had said there ‘wasn’t a vegetable she didn’t like. Except sprouts’. Qrow also remembered Yang’s response to that had been ‘fuck sprouts’ and it made him chuckle.

“I am,” said Bart, a laugh in his own voice. “Among a different kind of doctor. But you aren’t supposed to check on yourself. Something about ethics or committees.”

Qrow looked toward Bart and raised an eyebrow. “Among? How many doctorates do you have?”

“Two,” said Bart. “I did them simultaneously, actually.”

Qrow felt dizzy just thinking about all that. “Did you ever sleep?”

“No,” said Bart, drily. “And I never slowed down afterward, either. There is a reason I drink so much coffee, after all.”

The door behind the counter swung open and a man with incredible side burns walked out carrying two very old looking books.

“All right, doc,” said the man. “I think I got both of them this time. Sent me on a wild goose chase, let me tell you.” The man had a warm, low laugh. “Fourteen book collectors in eight different countries.” He shook his head. “Now where do you get these titles?”

Bart smiled and took one of them. Qrow picked up another cook book.

“Here and there,” said Bart vaguely. “I do love history.”

“Evidently,” said the man, drily. Then, he seemed to spot Qrow. “Hello. Welcome to Tukson’s Book Trade.”

“You’re Tukson?” guessed Qrow. The man nodded. “All right, I’m Qrow.”

“Good to meet you,” said Tukson.

Bart thumbed through the books, his brow furrowed and his mismatched eyes darting back and forth behind his round glasses. “Yes, these are definitely the right books, Tukson, thank you.” He dug around for his wallet while Qrow went back to studying cookbooks. He wondered if a dessert book would be a good idea. Ruby liked fruit desserts and Yang liked… well, everything. Except sprouts.

“Hey, doc, think you could put in a good word with me at your night class? There’s a student of yours I’ve been wanting to ask out,” said Tukson.

Qrow cocked an eyebrow. “Don’t you teach high school?” he asked, looking up from his book. He was on a page detailing coffee cakes. Probably not the best idea with a hyperactive fifteen year old in the house.

“I teach night classes at the university,” said Bart.

“You really _don’t_ sleep,” muttered Qrow.

Bart chuckled. “I’d be happy to, Tuskon. Tell me, is it that new student… oh what was their name…?”

“Mike,” mumbled Tukson.

“Right!” said Bart. “Mike! They DJ at the local club on weekends. Lovely place.”

Qrow glanced toward the counter and saw that Tukson had gone rigid. His eyes danced back to Qrow once or twice while Bart pondered over the book, seemingly unconcerned. Picking up the two books, Qrow walked up to the counter and flashed a grin to Tuskon.

“So, are they cute?” asked Qrow. Tukson’s ears went pink and he took the two books from Qrow’s hands. His posture relaxed and Qrow flashed him a warm smile.

“Very,” mumbled Tukson. “And charming and intelligent and…”

Qrow chuckled. “You sound _smitten._ ” He dug out the bills for the cookbooks and handed them over. “I’ll bet you’ve got a great chance with them.”

“Thank you,” said Tukson, his head still ducked.

Transactions completed, Qrow and Bart wandered out of the store together, each carrying a bag.

“Don’t suppose you need a lift?” asked Qrow. He checked the small parking lot, but couldn’t see Bart’s car.

“That would be lovely,” said Bart. “I walked here, but I wanted to run some errands today…”

“S’fine, I need to run some too,” said Qrow. Then, he realized what Bart had said. “Wait, you walked here?” asked Qrow, opening the trunk of his car. “Isn’t it five miles to our neighbourhood?”

Bart cocked his head, blinking owlishly. “Is it?” he asked. “I believe the doctor’s is closer than that, and Peter drove me there.” He shrugged. “Either way, not a bad way to get some exercise.”

They climbed into the car, Bart’s long legs folding into the passenger’s side with a little difficulty.

“Peter?” Qrow echoed. There was something he’d been meaning to ask for a while. “Are you two…?” He trailed off, unsure how to finish that statement.

Bart chuckled. “Yes, we’ve been together for, oh, five years now?”

“Why don’t you live together?” asked Qrow. He pulled out of the parking lot and drove toward the grocery store.

“Too much stuff,” said Bart, drily. “Besides, we like the neighbourhood as it is. Wouldn’t want to mix it up.”

“Fair enough,” said Qrow. He wondered if he and the girls counted as ‘mixing it up’.

Bart hummed and combed his fingers through his green hair.

“Why is it green anyway?” asked Qrow, remembering Ruby’s soft whispers of “his hair is _green_ ” after the backyard party.

Bart laughed. “I dyed it for rainbow week a few years ago at the high school, when I went to bleach it back to my usual blonde, it went green.” He shrugged. “My students – and Peter – loved it so much that I never changed it back.”

Qrow nodded. “It suits you, that’s for sure.”

Bart hummed. “May I ask you something, Qrow?”

Qrow turned a corner, checking his mirrors before he switched lanes. “Sure.”

“What’s going on between you and James? You two seem… close,” said Bart.

Qrow gripped the steering wheel tightly and kept his eyes on the road. “We’re just friends.”

“Really?” asked Bart, a touch of disbelief in his voice. “I have a hard time believing that.”

Qrow grit his teeth. “Look, finding someone hot and dating them are two separate things.” He didn’t look at Bart. “Besides, he’s not interested.”

“How do you know?” asked Bart.

Qrow rolled his eyes. “Because he’s probably fucking straight.”

Bart snorted. A sharp, exasperated noise that made Qrow stare at him for a second. “Qrow, my friend, James is the gayest man I’ve ever met,” he said. He let his glasses slide down his nose to look at Qrow sharply. “And I’m counting myself in that.”

Qrow started. He pulled into the parking lot of the grocery store and parked, perfectly silent.

“Then, he’s not interested in me,” said Qrow, unable to keep the disappointment out of his voice.

Bart reached over and rested a hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“S’fine,” mumbled Qrow, getting out of the car. “Let’s get some groceries.”

“Indeed,” said Bart in the same subdued tone. Qrow tried not to think about it too much.

* * *

 

Yang, Ruby, and Penny walked along the boardwalk next to the mall, chattering together as they hunted for another store. School had let out an hour ago and they’d taken the bus up to the mall to pick up the final touches for their Halloween costumes.

Yang needed more fabric for her phoenix costume, and Penny’s old bandanna for her cowgirl costume had bothered her skin. Ruby had something like four complete costumes in her closet and was mostly looking for accessories to flesh them out.

Honestly, Yang still wasn’t sure what Ruby was going to _go_ as for Halloween, but she loved putting together elaborate costumes on a budget. And hey, who was Yang to complain if it made her sister happy?

“What do you think, Penny, are the new bandannas better?” asked Ruby, balancing on the edge of a fountain.

Penny nodded and wrapped one around her wrist. “Oh, yes, I think these will be spec _tac_ ular,” she said, voice bright. Yang watched Penny lean back to look at the clouds. “That one looks like a brontosaurus.”

“Yeah, it does,” said Ruby. With a yelp, Ruby fell of the fountain, overbalanced from her leaning. Yang caught her and set her down.

“Easy, Ruby,” said Yang.

“Thanks, Yang,” said Ruby.

Yang glanced at the stores as they passed them, frowning slightly. “There’s gotta be a fabric store in this mall, doesn’t there?”

“You’d think,” said Ruby. “I think it might be in the strip mall by that bookstore though.”

Yang sighed. Of course it was. They’d have to call Uncle Qrow if they wanted to go to that store. Penny probably couldn’t do another bus, and, honestly, neither could Yang.

Thinking about Uncle Qrow reminded her of something she’d meant to ask, though.

“Hey, Penny, can I ask you something?” asked Yang.

Penny nodded. “Of course!”

“Your dad, Ironwood.” Yang tried to figure out how to phrase her next question. “He and Uncle Qrow are getting kind of… close. Do you think there’s anything there?”

Penny cocked her head to one side, eyes at the sky. “Like what?”

“Like romance,” said Yang, figuring it was best to put it bluntly.

Ruby blinked. “Our dads?” she echoed. “That’d be cool.”

The word was like a punch to Yang’s gut. She stumbled. Catching her bag.

“Yang?”

“You just called Uncle Qrow, ‘dad’,” said Yang, eyes wide as she looked at Ruby.

Ruby furrowed her brow. “I mean, he’s basically Dad, isn’t he?” She shrugged, looking mildly apologetic. “I was a baby when Mom and Dad died, Yang, I don’t remember them. And Raven?” She shrugged again. “The only thing I remember from _that_ was Uncle Qrow drinking so much he had to get his stomach pumped and we stayed at Pearl’s and Asper’s for the weekend.”

Yang said nothing.

“If they did get together,” said Penny, her voice sing-song and distant. Yang fought the urge to pull Penny out of the way of the potted plants. Penny stepped around them anyway. “Would we be sisters or cousins?”

“I say sisters,” said Ruby. “What do you think, Yang?”

Yang smiled, her stomach tight. “Sisters,” she said. She sighed. “Just a matter of convincing _them_ that.”

“We’ll figure it out,” said Penny.

Yang paused. “You just used a contraction.”

“Pardon?” said Penny. She blinked. Gaze skittering toward one of the stores and brow furrowed. “I suppose I did. Is that wrong?”

Yang grinned and shook her head. “No, Penny. You just… you sound more like me and Ruby every day. I like it.”

“Me too,” said Ruby. “As long as you don’t start swearing.”

“I do not think my father would approve of swearing,” said Penny somberly. She looked almost disappointed.

Yang couldn’t help but laugh. “No, but it’d be funny to see his face.”

“Perhaps,” agreed Penny, her lips quirking into a smile. “We shall see.”

The three continued their walk to find a perfect store. Just as they passed a pet store, a girl with long black hair and a black bow came streaming out of it. She slammed into Yang and they both went sprawling to the ground.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry,” said the girl. Yang shook it off and picked up her own stuff. The girl had golden brown eyes, Yang noticed, and her breath caught when she saw the yellowing bruise underneath one of them.

“Are you okay?” asked Yang.

“Blake!” The sharp voice cut across the parking lot. Yang didn’t miss the way the girl – Blake – flinched as she stood up.

“Coming, Adam!” called Blake. “Sorry,” she said again. And then she was running off across the parking lot toward a guy with red hair and dark sunglasses. Yang narrowed her eyes at him and caught his smirk. He threw an arm roughly around Blake and led her down the parking lot. Blake didn’t look back.

“What was that?” asked Ruby.

Yang frowned, grinding her teeth. “I don’t know,” she said. “But I don’t like it.”

“Me neither,” said Penny, quietly. “You shouldn’t do that to people without asking.” Her gaze was on the ground, darting toward where the guy and Blake had disappeared.

Yang pressed her lips together. “I’m gonna keep an eye out for her.” She saw the way Ruby and Penny both looked upset and changed the subject. “Hey – you two wanna get ice cream? My treat.”

They both perked up and followed Yang to the ice cream parlour, chattering on excitedly about Halloween. The entire time, Yang couldn’t shake the feeling she had about that man and the girl – Blake. Something was terribly wrong, and she wanted to find out what.

But how?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Find me on [Tumblr!](anipendragon.tumblr.com)


	11. Halloween

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Isn't this a lovely chapter? No, really, it is.
> 
> I'm not planning anything at all.
> 
> Comments are love!

James double checked his make-up in the mirror again, eyeing Penny’s carefully sculpted eyebrows and contours. She’d spent almost thirty minutes working to make him into a perfect scarecrow and he was more than impressed with the results. The yellows and browns on his face, mixed with the straw poking out of his outfit, blended together perfectly to turn him into a movie ready scarecrow.

“I love it,” said James, grinning at himself and then at Penny. “You did a fantastic job. Thank you.”

Penny smiled and tapped a salute to him, before twirling around in her layered jean skirt. It went just passed her knees, and the cowgirl boots she wore – she’d been very insistent that cow _girl_ and cow _boy_ boots were different – came up almost as far. He hoped she’d be warm enough. But then, Penny was fifteen, and she could make her own costume design decisions. And besides, she was going to the party at Neptune’s house, not trick-or-treating.

“You look lovely as well,” said James. He grabbed his wallet and tucked it into one of the many pouches on his overalls.

“Thank you, Father,” said Penny. She twirled around a few times, head swaying back and forth as she looked up at the ceiling.

“Did you take your pills?” asked James.

She nodded. “With dinner,” she said, still staring at the ceiling.

“Good,” said James. “And you have everything you need?” He was still worried about the party being a sleepover, but he hadn’t expressed that worry to Penny. She’d been very clear about finding out what she needed to know about the party, and expressing what she needed to Neptune and Sun. They’d taken it in stride, from what James had heard.

“Yes, I have my nightgown, my pyjama pants, my day clothes, my medicine, and my book,” said Penny, counting it off. “I also have Norbert. Neptune has assured me that I will have a spot to sleep where I won’t be touched, and there are bathrooms to change in.” She beamed as she tapped her fingers to the dresser with each count.

“And you have your phone, just in case?” asked James.

Penny dug it out of her skirt pocket and held it up. “Just in case,” she agreed. James glanced back at her overnight bag. Norbert the Grimm Dragon poked his head out of the bag, smiling the way he always did. He hoped that she’d be okay.

“All right,” said James, managing a small, genuine smile, “let’s get going.”

The two headed downstairs, Penny in front of James, and out the front door. It was a cool, clear evening, and the sun was still brushing the horizon. Little kids scurried back and forth, holding out buckets, pillowcases, and bags as they hunted for candy. It was almost time for most of them to head home, and James knew they’d all be gone within the hour. He’d left the rest of his candy on the porch with a little “Take One, Please!” sign that Penny had written.

Halfway down the street, Ruby, Yang, and Qrow joined them. Ruby and Yang were going to the party with Penny, while Qrow and James were headed to the party up at Ozpin’s place.

“Those are some lovely costumes,” said James, eyebrows raising. Yang was in a layered dress made mostly of loose fabric and scarves, all done up in shades of red, orange, and yellow. The painted feathers on her face, plus the colored ones forming wings on the fabric draped over her shoulders, betrayed her status as a phoenix.

Ruby wore a fitted tuxedo with holsters attached to her hips and inside her jacket. Fake guns, although they looked pretty convincing, poked out of each one. A pair of sunglasses rested on her head and a very familiar looking pen poked out of her jacket pocket.

James raised an eyebrow. “Any aliens about?” he asked.

Ruby grinned. “Nope. But if I see any, I’ll know what to do.”

“We are truly in safe hands,” said James. He glanced at Yang, who was grinning. “And what of you? Set anything on fire today?”

“Nah,” said Yang, giving him a thumbs up. “Mostly looking for a place to spread my wings and fly.”

James chuckled. His gaze found Qrow, who had been chatting quietly with Penny, her hands flying and her eyes alight as they focused just over his shoulder. He was dressed in greys and whites, his face and hand painted metallic, but it was his conical hat that gave him away.

He was dressed as the tin man from Wizard of Oz. James couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Feeling heartless tonight?” asked James.

Qrow grinned. “Maybe a bit. I take it you’ve foregone brains for this party?” James shrugged. He hadn’t meant to be _the_ scarecrow, but he’d run with it.

“Shall we?” asked James. The five headed up the block together. Ruby and Penny chatted excitedly about the evening while he and Qrow hung a step back, comfortably silent.

James noticed Yang was rubbing at the spot where her prosthetic met skin and he frowned.

“Everything okay?” he asked, keeping his voice down. Ruby and Penny were a few steps ahead, still chatting away.

Yang looked back at him, face pinched. “Yeah, just… sore. It happens.”

James nodded. “It does. Extensive injury takes a very long time to heal.” He could only vaguely remember the early months of his own recovery, when no one had been sure if he was going to survive or not. There were others in the world as extensive as him, but none with quite the reconstruction. He flexed his right hand absently, wondering.

“What’d you do, in the first year?” asked Yang as they neared Neptune’s house.

“Mostly I tried to figure out how to live on OxyContin,” said James, drily.

Yang’s eyebrows went up. “Right, you’re more than just the arm, aren’t you?”

“Quite a bit more,” admitted James, quietly. “But I’m here, and so are you. That’s what’s important. I’ve been through it all. I know it’s hard sometimes.”

Yang smiled, small and genuine. “Thanks,” she said.

Then, “Yang, come on!” It was Ruby, waving Yang toward Neptune’s house. Yang shifted her overnight bang on her arm, gave a two-fingered salute with her yellow hand, and jogged toward the two and up to the house.

Penny veered back for a second, smiled up at James, and said, “May I hug you?”

James grinned and opened his arms. “Of course.” She hugged him, tight, and he hugged back. A few seconds later, she pulled back and ran up the street, calling “good night!” as she went.

Once she was gone, James realized Qrow was staring at him, and that he was grinning just like James was.

“So she does hug,” said Qrow.

“Sometimes,” said James. “Depends on the day.” He glanced back toward the house as the door opened. Neptune’s vibrant blue hair stood out on the porch. The three girls disappeared inside with him.

“Yang adores you,” said Qrow, softly.

James felt his ears flush. “I’ve been where she is, I can relate.” They were halfway up the hill to Ozpin’s now. “She’s not fragile, but she still needs help. If I can do anything to help her…” He shrugged, feeling bashful.

“You are,” said Qrow. “Helping, I mean. All of us.”

“I’m glad,” said James, his voice quiet. The two fell silent again until they reached Ozpin’s house. When the door opened, James did a double take and Qrow cackled.

“Are you a fucking _fairy princess_ , Oz?” asked Qrow. Ozpin did a little twirl, lifting the edges of the fabric wings that laid like a veil across his bare – and tattooed and somewhat scarred – shoulders and arms, and also lifting the layers of the full, floor length dress he wore. James didn’t think a man was supposed to look that nice in pale pink and cream.

“Why, yes, yes I am,” said Ozpin cheerfully. He tapped his wand to the little tiara he wore. “Won’t you come in?” James squinted at Oz as they walked into the house passed Ozpin. He was definitely wearing make-up. And glitter. Lots of glitter. In his hair, on his costume, on his wand. James wondered if Ozpin wouldn’t be covered in glitter for the next month.

Then again, it was Ozpin, that wouldn’t be all that strange.

Inside, the party was filled with most of the adults in the neighbourhood, sans Mama and Mom Vasilias (James couldn’t remember their names, offhand), as well as several others from around town and teachers at the local high school.

“Glynda, good to see you,” said James went he caught sight of her. Glynda looked up and gave him a warm smile. Her outfit pegged her as a snow queen, James guessed. And her make-up, done in blues, silvers, and white, with decal snowflakes around her eyes, was flawless.

“Did you do that?” asked James.

Glynda shook her head. “Ozpin,” she said, drily. “He has quite the talent.”

“Or too much free time,” said James.

“You know,” said Glynda. “I don’t think he works, so I can believe that.”

“Where does he get all his money then?” asked Qrow, walking up to the two. He handed James a beer, one eyebrow raised, and James took it with a grateful nod.

Glynda sighed. “I honestly have no idea,” she said. “I’ve lived here almost as long as James has and I’m one of his closest friends. And yet…” She trailed off, shrugging. “Are you a robot?”

“Tin man,” said Qrow. He took a swing from his beer, which, James noticed, was already half empty. He pressed his lips together, wondering what was going on in Qrow’s head and if there was anything he could do to lessen the burden. Maybe it was just a bad day.

“And you’re the _scarecrow_ ,” said Glynda, raising one eyebrow. “Oh, that’s adorable.”

James gave her a flat look. “Really, Glynda?” he asked. He could feel the tips of his ears turning pink and wished he’d thought to wear a straw hat. Her words weren’t meant maliciously, James knew, but with his attraction to Qrow growing harder to ignore, he couldn’t help but take them a bit close to heart.

She looked a bit smug. “What, I’m not allowed to mock you?” she asked.

He’d prefer if she didn’t, to be honest, but that wouldn’t change anything. “I suppose,” he said. “What are we mocking me about this time?”

She raised her other eyebrow. “You don’t remember saying that Ozpin and I were positively _adorable_ that one time you thought we were dating?” she asked. “I was just echoing the sentiment.”

“Jimmy and me?” said Qrow. His voice was light, a little amused. James felt himself tense and didn’t look at Qrow. Caught Glynda’s look switching to mildly concerned for a brief flash, then it was back to neutral. Then, “Wait, you and _Ozpin_?” Now Qrow just sounded disturbed.

“Right?” said Glynda. “Honestly. And that’s not even getting into my sexuality.”

“I didn’t know you were gay at the time,” murmured James, feeling the back of his neck heat. “I apologized quite a bit. I baked you cookies.”

Glynda hummed. “Yes, but every time I bring it up, you bake me _more_. That’s reason enough.”

James sighed. “You could just _ask_ for cookies.”

“Now where’s the fun in that?” asked Glynda, a dry amusement in her voice.

Qrow laughed. “Oh, I like you more and more every day, Glynda.”

“Introducing you two was a terrible mistake,” bemoaned James. “I will never know peace again.” But he was smiling as he said it. It was nice to have things mostly back to normal. Even if he wasn’t sure exactly what he wanted from “normal.”

While Glynda and Qrow swapped advice on the best way to get James to make cookies – Qrow had apparently decided that sending his nieces after James to ask was most effective – James headed into the kitchen, where he’d seen Ozpin disappear.

In there, he saw Ozpin sipping from a ginger ale and trying to reach behind himself to fix his wing clasps.

“Let me,” said James. Ozpin nodded and turned his back to James. James undid the clasps and re-hooked them into the back of the dress, letting the wing shawl-veil hang properly again.

“Thank you,” said Ozpin, turning back to James. “That was getting to be quite the nuisance.”

James dug his phone out of his pocket, hiding it in one hand as he asked, “Do you mind if I send a picture of your costume to Penny? She’d love to see this.”

Ozpin nodded and picked up his wand, stepping into the better lighting. “Would you like me to strike a pose as well?” he asked.

James laughed and shook his head. “No, this should be fine.” He snapped a picture and sent a text message to Penny: _‘Thought you’d enjoy this. He makes a lovely princess.’_ With the picture and text sent, he tucked the phone back into his pocket.

“You know, Ozpin, you surprise me more and more every day. I didn’t realize you agreed with the narrative that men can wear dresses as well,” said James.

Ozpin nodded, not quite looking at James. “I do indeed,” he said, softly. “Sometimes they’re just more comfortable, and what better way to enjoy that than at a costume party?”

“You’re quite the man, Oz,” said James.

“Yes, I suppose I am,” said Ozpin. There was something in his eyes as he said it, something forlorn, almost, that made James pause. But he shrugged it off. Ozpin was Ozpin. Nothing to worry about.

“Shall we?” asked James. He gestured for the door and Ozpin nodded. He straightened his tiara and followed James back into the living room.

* * *

 

Ruby and Penny were giggling over Sun’s pirate costume and Neptune’s monkey costume when Penny’s phone gave a cheerful beep. She pulled it out of her the pouch she wore on her skirt and looked at it. At her giggle, Ruby perked curiously.

“What is it?” asked Ruby. Penny turned her phone toward Ruby. It was a picture of Ozpin in his kitchen, dressed as a glittering fairy princess.

“He looks lovely,” said Penny. “I think he’s the perfect princess.”

Ruby giggled. “He really is,” she agreed.

Sun and Neptune called everyone together for a party game then, to a collection of whoops and boos, and Penny tucked her phone back into her pocket. The two headed to the circle of people, eager to start the rest of their night.


	12. The Not-Date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> #noregrets
> 
> Comments are love!

Yang sat at James’ dining room table, her tools for calibrations spread all around her and one of the tiny screwdrivers pressed to a loose connection inside the exposed inner workings of her prosthetic arm. James watched from next to her, offering adjustments and corrections as needed. From time to time, one of Yang’s fingers would twitch and she would frown.

Whenever she got stuck, or frustrated, he offered quiet words and directions. Showing her how each wire and microchip and connection was important to the whole. Calibrations were simple, once you understood them, and James wanted to be sure that Yang understood them completely.

Finally, after perhaps another ten minutes, all the fingers flexed at once, then each one moved individually. Yang beamed and pulled the tool from her wiring.

“I did it!” she said. “Woo-hoo!” She punched her left hand into the air and wiggled the fingers on her right one again. Then, she grinned up at James, eyes bright and smile so wide it could almost be painful. “Thanks, Jimborie.”

“Jimborie?” echoed James, one eyebrow raised.

Yang pinked and turned all her attention to putting her arm panels back into place. “I mean, Uncle Qrow nicknames you all the time, right?” She shrugged. “I can go back to calling you Mr. Ironwood if you like.”

“No, I like it,” said James, a smile spreading on his own face. “It’s nice to know you’re that comfortable around me.”

Yang made a face. “Well, yeah,” she said, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

James chuckled and pointed a finger at Yang. “Don’t tell your uncle.” Yang nodded solemnly, but there was a twinkle in her eye that told him she was going to tell Qrow anyway.

“All right,” said James, standing up. “Let’s grab Ruby and Penny and get you girls to school.”

“Yay, school,” said Yang. Her shoulders slumped and tensed as she stood up, her gaze at her feet.

He put a hand on her shoulder. “Eventually, the stares do stop around people who know you, I promise.”

She nodded and followed him out to the car. “Hey, don’t forget I’m going with Sun tonight and Ruby and Penny wanted to take the bus to the bookstore, so you don’t have to pick us up,” said Yang.

“Thanks for the reminder,” said James and he shouted for Ruby and Penny, out on the front yard.

* * *

 

After James got back from driving the girls to school, he saw Qrow leaning on James’ porch, a twinkle in his eye.

“Qrow,” said James. “What are you doing here?”

Qrow grinned, as mischievous as James had ever seen him. “You still owe me lunch, Jimmy.”

James blinked, slowly remembering their cancelled plans. He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. “So I do,” he agreed. “It’s a bit early for lunch yet, though, and I need groceries for lunch.”

Qrow hopped off the porch and walked up to James, gesturing to the car. “Let’s go,” he said. James followed after him with a shrug. Well, why not?

* * *

 

Qrow hadn’t been sure how James would react when he showed up that morning, but when James had only laughed and said he needed to go to the store to get the supplies for lunch, it had been a weight off Qrow’s chest. That laugh and smile, the easy way James spoke, it made Qrow’s body and mind relax. As though all his problems, temporarily at least, could be washed away by such a simple gesture.

Qrow walked alongside James in the grocery store, offering suggestions for lunch and dinner, as well as compliments to his extensive knowledge of spices.

“You can’t bake?” asked Qrow, eyebrows raised.

“I can,” said James. “Just not nearly to the same extent that you can.”

Qrow hummed and snagged some yeast off the shelf, he wanted to make a cake later. “Looks like I’m making dessert tonight. How does Penny feel about brownies?”

“She likes the ones without nuts. And you don’t have to do that,” said James.

Qrow smiled. “I want to,” he said. He ducked around James again and grabbed some cocoa powder, already running the rest of the ingredients over in his head. James grabbed some pie crusts – to which Qrow made a face, homemade crusts were _much better_ , if horribly difficult and time consuming – and then they were headed for the produce.

“Any vegetables the girls don’t eat?” asked James.

“Sprouts,” said Qrow immediately.

James snorted. “Somehow, that doesn’t surprise me.”

The two kept on through the grocery store and headed back to James’ house. Qrow sang along to the radio – mostly teenage pop music – all the way and had James laughing so hard at stoplights that other drivers were giving them looks.

Qrow didn’t care. He and James were having fun.

Back at the house, they set to work on preparing lunch together, shoulders bumping as they sliced vegetables for salad. Qrow set to work on the brownies afterward while James did the dishes, and the two swapped stories between comfortable bouts of silence.

“You’re a mean cook, James Ironwood,” said Qrow as he measured out the cocoa powder.

James chuckled from where he stood, washing their salad bowls. “Why thank you, I’ve had fifteen years of practice.”

“Really?” asked Qrow, looking over his shoulder. “You didn’t cook for yourself before Penny was born?”

“No, an old roommate of mine used to do most of the cooking,” said James. “She was good at that.”

Qrow turned around completely, measuring cup in one hand and a smear of flour on his nose. “Penny’s mother?” guessed Qrow.

James’s ears pinked. “In the loosest sense of the term, yes,” said James. “She is Penny’s biological mother.”

“Bad blood?” guessed Qrow. He paused when he saw James press his lips together. “Sorry, I’ll stop.”

“No, no,” said James. “I’m not upset. It’s just, ah, an interesting story.”

Qrow raised an eyebrow and turned back to his brownie mix. “Oh?”

“I always wanted children, but because I moved around a lot, I never thought I’d get approved for adoption,” said James. “Of course, after the accident, I stopped moving because I needed a stable environment to raise Penny in and also to recover.” He laughed, soft.

Qrow stirred his mix, throwing in the chocolate chips. “No biological option?”

There was a moment of silence. Then, “I thought you realized I was gay.”

Qrow shrugged. “Not one to assume.” Even if Bart _had_ told him, it was nice to get confirmation. Even if it did further his proof that James really didn’t have romantic feelings for him. And even if it _did_ hurt quite a bit.

“Right, well,” said James, clearing his throat.

“I am too, by the way,” said Qrow when James seemed to remain silent a moment longer. “It doesn’t bug me.” He looked over his shoulder to see James looking back at him, eyes soft and mouth quirked in surprise.

He nodded. “I never would have guessed,” murmured James, the surprise evident in his tone. Qrow laughed, just as soft. “Anyway, I proposed to my roommate that if she was willing to carry a child for me, I’d deal with all the financial obligations, the paperwork, the hospitals and healthcare, the raising of the child, and I’d pay for her college education.” He shrugged. “She agreed.”

Qrow turned around fully again, leaning back against the counter with the brownie batter covered spatula held in one hand. “Does Penny know?”

“Oh, of course,” said James. “She rarely visits, but Penny and her mother exchange emails quite often. She considers her more like an aunt than a mother, though.”

Qrow raised an eyebrow. “So who is this mysterious mother, anyway?”

James laughed, rubbing the back of his neck and ducking his head slightly. A slight blush worked its way across his cheeks and jaw. “Do you know of a pop singer named Helium Glitch?”

For a long moment, Qrow was silent, his face transforming into a wide grin as the words registered. “ _Helium Glitch_?” echoed Qrow. “Doesn’t she sing _Bang the Best_ and _Dance On Your Dick_?” His grin was so wide it hurt.

“Yes,” said James, softly. “Yes she does.”

Qrow cackled, positively _cackled_ at the words, leaning hard against the counter and doubling over to hold his stomach in pain. “Oh my god,” he choked out.

“It’s not that funny,” said James, but even he sounded like he was about to start laughing. Then, “…It’s a little funny.”

Qrow grinned, straightening up as he managed to stop himself from laughing. “It’s _hilarious._ ”

James sighed. “Get baking,” he said, but his words were good natured and his tone teasing.

Qrow gave an exaggerated salute and a cheeky grin before turning back to his baking.

In the end, he made two plates of brownies and an apple pie before dinner. By the time he was done, James was preparing dinner – spaghetti with meat balls, apparently a favourite of Penny’s.

Qrow and James worked in the kitchen together once more, swapping jokes as they worked. Qrow ended up with sauce on his face as he worked, but he didn’t mind. Once the sauce was on the stove and the meatballs were in the oven, the two put the dishes into the sink.

“Qrow, you have sauce, right there,” said James. He tapped his cheek with his right hand, the metal catching the light. Qrow swiped at his cheek and James shook his head. “No, here.” Qrow tried again and James laughed.

He stepped into Qrow’s space, eyes soft. “Here, let me…” He trailed off, reaching up with his right hand to wipe at Qrow’s cheek, his other hand gently cupping Qrow’s jaw to hold it still. Qrow stared up at James, feeling his cheeks heat at the proximity.

“Got it,” said James, his voice barely above a whisper. He didn’t pull away from Qrow, and Qrow didn’t either. They stared at each other for a long moment, silent. Slowly, ever so slowly, Qrow leaned in and James did the same. Qrow’s eyes fluttered, half closing as James’ breath ghosted his lips.

Qrow’s phone rang, the sudden sound of Ruby’s personal ringtone making them jump apart in surprise. James cleared his throat and looked away. Qrow took a deep breath and yanked his phone out of his back pocket.

“Ruby?” he asked.

_“Dad!”_ came her voice. Qrow’s heart stopped. _“Dad, help. Penny and me. We were on our way home. Some boys found us. Penny’s hurt. She’s… oh my god I don’t know if they’re coming back.”_

“Where are you?” asked Qrow, his eyes wide. James jumped at his fearful tone. “Ruby.”

_“The alleyway on Beacon Drive by the pharmacy. Please come get us.”_

“We’ll be right there,” said Qrow. “Stay out of sight and stay safe. Is Penny okay?” James’ lips parted in surprise. One of his fists clenched.

_“Yeah. Yeah she’s hurt, but she’s okay? She’s up and talking and stuff,”_ said Ruby. _“Please help.”_

“We’re on our way. I love you.”

_“Love you too.”_ Qrow hung up the phone and looked to James.

“Something happened to Penny and Ruby. They’re in the alleyway on Beacon Drive by the pharmacy. We need to go,” said Qrow.

James was already grabbing his jacket and keys. “I’ll drive,” he said. Qrow nodded and followed James out into the driveway, his chest tight and his breath caught as he tried not to imagine the worst.


	13. Tension Break

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're back! Time for the end of act one. With any luck, I'll get this whole thing done before RWBY4 airs.
> 
> I hope y'all enjoy this one. It was pretty interesting to write.

Ruby and Penny giggled as they walked to the store from school. It was a cool day, but they both had jackets, and Ruby kept asking about all the different buttons on Penny’s.

There were dinosaur buttons, superhero buttons, robot buttons, and a button with a pretty set of five stripes in three colours – Ruby liked the pink stripes best.

As they passed by the pharmacy, Ruby chattering away about how exciting it was that it was starting to snow, Penny paused and stared into the alleyway.

“Penny?” asked Ruby. She stopped and turned, head tilted at her friend.

Penny walked into the alleyway, brow furrowed and lips pressed tight together. After a moment’s hesitation, Ruby followed after her. The wind was picking up, and clouds were starting to gather overhead. Ruby figured it would probably snow soon.

“Penny?” Ruby called again as she followed Penny into the alleyway.

Penny stopped and turned back to Ruby. “I thought I heard something,” said Penny, softly. She frowned, eyes sliding toward the garbage container in the alleyway.

“Maybe it was the wind,” offered Ruby.

Penny nodded and started forward just in time for Ruby to see a figure come out from the shadows of the alleyway. It was a tall boy with broad shoulders and a look in his eyes that made Ruby’s heart stop.

“Penny, get over here,” whispered Ruby. Penny looked back and sucked in a sharp breath at the boy. She stumbled back toward Ruby and Ruby forced herself not to reach out and draw Penny close.

“So that’s what they’re calling you now,” said the boy, his voice low and sharp. “Stupid name.”

Penny trembled next to Ruby, a soft whimper slipping from her throat. “We need to go,” she whispered. “Now.”

“Where’re you running, freak?” asked the boy. He grinned, all teeth. Slicked back his ginger hair with one hand. Sharp in a way that Ruby had only ever seen once before. On Yang. Just before Yang got expelled from their last school.

“Ruby,” whimpered Penny, tugging at Ruby’s sleeve. Ruby nodded and followed Penny backward toward the mouth of the alley.

Another chuckle. This time from behind. Ruby turned to see a pair of boys – one with brown hair and one with smoky blue hair – blocking the alleyway entrance. From the fence at the back of the alleyway came another sound, and a green haired boy with a Mohawk clambered over the fence to join the first boy.

Penny let out a noise that was so close to a closed mouth sob that Ruby started. She glanced from Penny – her eyes welling up with tears and her hands shaking – to the four boys.

“What do you want?” asked Ruby, stepping in front of Penny. She turned them sideways so that Penny was close to the brick wall and Ruby could look at both pairs of boys without ever putting the other pair completely out of view.

“Your little friend, kid,” said the ginger, who Ruby figured was their leader. Ruby bared her teeth, shifting into a defensive stance that Yang had taught her. “Hand _it_ over.”

Ruby bristled. Snarled. Brought her fists up and twisted at the last possible second, just as the brunet lunged for her. She caught the blow across one raised arm and swung. The pain already shot up her arm and made her stumble. But she connected with his jaw and he jerked back.

Then the green haired boy was attacking and Ruby had to block him. And the brunet redoubled his efforts and lunged at Ruby, taking her in the gut. She cried out, bringing her hands up to shield her face and chest as they battered her into the brick wall. Penny screamed somewhere off to Ruby’s right – the ginger. _No._

“Penny!” cried Ruby. She got socked in the jaw. Her back hit the wall. Her head snapped. She saw stars. Pain bloomed alongside the stars that spotted her eyes. She could barely breathe. Barely _think_. Why were they doing this?

“Please.” Penny’s voice. “Please leave me alone.”

“You can’t play dress-up forever, freak,” said the ginger. He chuckled. The two stepped back from Ruby and she slumped to the ground, curling her knees close to her stomach. It churned and churned until she was sure she’d be sick. And in her spinning vision, she saw the ginger backhand Penny to the ground and take her bow. His sneer stuck out from everything else.

“We’re done here,” said the ginger. His voice echoed a dozen times in Ruby’s head. He walked past Penny and Ruby, chuckling all the while.

When the four were gone, Ruby crawled over to Penny, who was sobbing quietly into her hands.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” she babbled between the tears.

Ruby reached out, hesitated, and drew her hand back. “It’s okay,” she said. “It’s okay.”

Penny shook her head and curled herself against the wall, knees drawn up and arms hugging them close. Her face disappeared into her skirt.

Ruby pulled out her cell phone and punched the first favourite on her contact list.

Two rings. Then three.

Then, “ _Ruby?”_

“Dad!” The word was out of her mouth before it even registered. “Dad, help. Penny and me – we were on our way home and some boys found us.” She looked at Penny, who was still crying. From what Ruby could see, a bruise was blooming on her cheek. “Penny’s hurt.”

A glance down the alleyway. Ruby jumped at a shadow that was only a cloud passing over. “Oh my god,” she croaked. “I don’t know if they’re coming back.”

_“Where are you?”_ came Qrow’s voice. She was silent, staring at the shadows. _“Ruby.”_

“The alleyway on Beacon Drive,” said Ruby. “By the pharmacy.” She let out a soft sob and bit her fist to keep from breaking down. She had to be strong. “Please come get us.”

_“We’ll be right there. Stay out of sight and stay safe. Is Penny okay?”_

Ruby glanced at Penny. Debated telling the truth. That Penny was sobbing into her skirt and kept babbling “I’m sorry” over and over again.

She bit it back and lied. “Yeah, yeah she’s hurt. But I think she’s okay. She’s up and talking and stuff.” A pause. “Please help.”

_“We’re on our way. I love you.”_

Ruby blinked back tears. Her entire body trembled. “I love you too.” She hung up and sat next to Penny, keeping her distance and watching. Penny’s sobs were starting to peter off and Ruby wanted desperately to ask her what had happened. Why those boys hated her so much.

But she knew it was rude. Knew it wasn’t the time. So she sat and she waited. And she watched for… her Uncle? Her father? And for Mr. Ironwood, while Penny’s quiet cries pierced every inch of self-control and strength that Ruby had left.

* * *

 

The car ride took far too long for Qrow’s liking. He watched the streets until James pulled over and hurried after him. A tension hung between them that Qrow ignored. He needed to make sure the girls were okay. Both of them did.

As they hit the alleyway, Qrow saw Penny and Ruby curled up beside each other on the wall, about six inches between them.

“Dad!” said Ruby as he came into the alleyway. She was on her feet in an instant, wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug. Qrow placed a hand on her hair and hugged her with the other, pressing his lips into a thin line.

He watched as James crouched in front of Penny, holding out his hand to her. She took it and let herself be pulled to her feet. Then she threw herself at him, wrapping herself around him like she never wanted to let go.

“Are you all right?” asked James.

Penny nodded against his shirt.

“Are you?” asked Qrow, looking down at Ruby. She was watching Penny, a pain in her eyes that Qrow was far too familiar with.

Failure.

He pulled her closer, pressing a kiss to her hair.

“I’ll be okay,” said Ruby, softly. She was leaning to one side and as she pulled back from Qrow, she wrapped an arm around her middle. She’d been hit pretty badly, now that Qrow could get a good look at her. Her cheek was already swelling, her lower lip was split, and there was dried blood under her nose. Bruising had already started to bloom around one eye and across her jaw. She’d taken quite the beating, apparently. The fact that only her middle seemed to be bothering her worried Qrow. He’d check her out when they home, make sure nothing was hurt in there.

“What happened?” asked James. Penny said nothing. She didn’t let go of James, but she didn’t look anywhere near him either. Her lip trembled.

“Four boys attacked us,” said Ruby, stepping forward. “They took Penny’s bow and… and they called her an _it._ ” She wrinkled her nose.

“ _Cardin Winchester._ ” The amount of venom James managed to get into those two words made Qrow’s eyes widen. “I’ll kill him.”

Penny pulled back from James. “That’s illegal,” she said. “Please don’t break the law.”

He sighed. “Of course, Penny,” he said. He glanced at Qrow, a shadow in his eyes that made Qrow drop his gaze. “Let’s go home.”

“Ruby’s house, please,” said Penny, quietly. James nodded and the four left the alleyway. As they did, snow began to fall gently from the sky, the large flakes whiting out the world and sticking in Qrow’s hair and eyelashes.

* * *

 

The ride back to the house was awkward and painful. Qrow sat in the back with Ruby and kept an arm around her shoulders. Penny sat in the passenger’s seat, head rested against the glass and eyes staring unseeing out the window. The snow was picking up, thick and swirling in the wind. Already it coated the roads.

When they got home, and inside, Yang was already there, and she took one look at Ruby and Penny and dragged them – verbally, in Penny’s case – up to the bathroom to clean them up.

James faltered, already going after them.

“I’ve got this,” said Yang. “Promise.”

James rubbed his face and Qrow sighed, leaning sideways against the wall. One shoulder against it, arms folded loosely in front of him.

“Yang’ll clean them up,” said Qrow. “She’s good at it. Done a lot of it for me and herself.” She’d remember to check them for injuries too. She remembered that better than he did, most of the time.

James clenched his jaw, his hands flexing at his sides.

“Besides,” said Qrow, eyeing James’ hands. “I think you need to calm down before you sit her down.”

“What would you know?” snapped James. Qrow raised an eyebrow. There was a low warning in James’ voice that he’d never heard before. Not even in the store, that one day. “Penny’s _hurt_ and I almost didn’t know. If Ruby hadn’t been with her, she wouldn’t have called!”

“James,” said Qrow.

“Fuck off,” snapped James. He spun, faced Qrow head on, and stalked toward him. Qrow took a step back, hands raising in surrender and shoulders dropping to look as small and non-threatening as possible. James grabbed him by the shirt collar. “This is _your_ fault.”

“What?” asked Qrow. His gaze flicked down to James’ hands. He swallowed.

James slammed him back into the wall, dangling him a good four or five inches off the ground to bring their faces level. Qrow’s ears rang and his head spun. He stared, wide-eyed, at James.

“This is _your_ fault,” he repeated, teeth bared and eyes dark. “She never talked about school before you and your damned daughters showed up.”

Qrow bristled. “Don’t you insult my-”

_“Shut up_.” Qrow’s jaw clicked shut audibly. The snarl in James’ voice had every inch of his body screaming to run and hide. Told him that James could – and would – put Qrow throw a wall if the thought struck him. “If you’d never shown up, she never would have wanted to go to school. She never would have been there today. And Cardin Winchester would _never have hurt my daughter again!_ ” His voice rose to a shout and Qrow heard something break upstairs.

He stared into James’ eyes, his own wide and shaky with fear. His breath came in sharp, short gasps. Soft but pronounced. “Again?” echoed Qrow.

James said nothing. His jaw worked instead.

“You pulled her out of school the first time over him, didn’t you?” guessed Qrow. _Shut up Qrow_ , he told himself. This was a bad idea. He was going to get punched. But he _had_ to know. “Because of the autism?”

“We didn’t pull her out of school because she’s autistic,” said James, his voice low and dangerous. “There were… other circumstances. Things that aren’t my _place_ to discuss with _you._ ” Another sneer. Another snarl. His hands tightened on Qrow’s shirt collar. Qrow could feel his armpits bruising and the shirt slowly ripping.

“There will always be assholes,” said Qrow, slowly.

“You don’t get it!” Voice raised to a shout again. “But you never fucking did. Because your kids don’t deal with _half_ the shit that Penny does just to feel like a normal girl!” He slammed Qrow harder into the wall. Qrow’s head snapped off the drywall. He winced. Knees weak. Head spinning. “And that’s why none of you get why I took her out of school. It was to keep her safe! To keep her alive. And you all ruined that in a matter of months!”

James was panting now. Tears prickling the corners of his eyes.

“This is your fault.” Bared teeth. “I wish you’d never come here. Everything was fine before you showed up. You ruined _everything._ ”

Qrow’s heart stopped. His breath caught. He tried to find words, tried to think, and found nothing.

“Father?” Penny in the doorway.

James dropped him. Qrow slid to the floor, all the way down until he was sitting. He stared blankly at the couch in the next room.

“Let’s go, Penny,” said James, the growl gone but the anger still there. “And Qrow?” Qrow looked up at him. “I don’t want you or your damned daughters to ever come near us again. Not now, not ever. Got that?”

Qrow nodded.

James led Penny out of the house. The door slammed shut behind him.

There was a long moment of silence, then Qrow clapped a hand over his mouth to stifle a sob. Tears prickled his eyes and spilled over before he could stop them.

He’d ruined everything. As always.

“Dad?”

“Uncle Qrow?”

The girls in the doorway now. They saw him and ran toward him, dropping down on either side of him and hugging him close.

And with his girls at his sides, safe if a little bruised, Qrow allowed himself to break down. To sob into their hair and cling to them as if they were the only thing keeping him afloat.

And they were. Just like they had been so many nights before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are love!


	14. Bedside Chats

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Basically because of the massive amount of comments on the last chapter I decided to push up this update. Hope y'all like it!
> 
> So, this is the start of Act 2. This is also when the story gets a touch more serious, We're dealing with back stories, with old traumas, and with Blake now. And I'm sure y'all can make an accurate guess as to what Blake has been dealing with. So be safe, and give me a shout on Tumblr (anipendragon) if you need anything from me.

Neither Penny nor James said anything on the short drive back to their house. In fact, James noticed, Penny didn’t say anything until they were safely back inside their house.

“I think you should get cleaned up and head to bed,” said James, rubbing a hand over his face. “We’ll figure out the rest in the morning.”

“No.”

James started, turning to face Penny, she stood with her hands clenched at her sides and her entire body shaking. He frowned. “Penny?”

“No. I won’t go to bed. I won’t sort this out in the morning,” said Penny. Her voice was tight and low, trembling with the unshed tears in her eyes. “What you did was wrong and you need to apologize.”

James blinked. “What?” He couldn’t keep the incredulous tone out of his voice.

“You yelled at Mr. Branwen – you _hurt_ Mr. Branwen – and you called his daughters names. That is not right,” said Penny. “It wasn’t their fault that Cardin Winchester was in that alleyway.”

“You could have been hurt – you were hurt, Penny,” said James.

“Ruby called you,” said Penny. She gritted her teeth. “Ruby called you and Ruby saved me. She protected me. Did you see her? She may need to go to the hospital because of me.”

James softened. “It’s not your fault.”

“It’s not hers either!” Penny’s voice rose almost to a shout, breaking on the last word. “She’s my best friend, Father. They are my support network. You are the one who always said I needed one.” She swallowed visibly, entire body trembling. “You cannot take that from me. Not now.”

“Penny, you don’t understand,” started James.

“Then make me understand,” said Penny. Tears slipped from her eyes and splattered onto her cheeks. “Tell me what I did wrong. Tell me what I did to deserve to be punished!”

James drew back, eyes wide. He wasn’t punishing her. He was trying to keep her safe. Why couldn’t she see that? “Penny, you could have died. Cardin Winchester is…”

“A monster,” said Penny, firmly. “I know. I’ve survived him twice now, remember?” And there was something so angry, so sharp, so _Yang_ in her voice that James took a step back. Felt guilt pool in his entire body as she lashed out at him.

Why couldn’t she understand?

“And you almost didn’t,” James threw back. He flexed his right hand. “You’re the only thing I have in this world, Penny. What would I do if something happened to you?”

“I’m a person, not a thing,” said Penny. “You’re the one who always tells me that.” She glared up at him. “Ruby _saved_ me today.”

“And you never would have been there if you weren’t going to school again,” snapped James. He stood his ground as Penny growled at him.

“I like school! I like friends! I like having people that love me even if they don’t have to!” shouted Penny. “You’re my father, why don’t you understand that? Ruby and Yang are amazing. Mr. Branwen has helped me so much. Because of them, the other neighbourhood people are starting to like me.” Penny gave an awful noise as more tears spilled from her cheeks.

James reached out only for Penny to step back, swiping at her tears. He recoiled his hand, a pit in his stomach.

“You’re happy too,” said Penny. “Or, you were. Mr. Branwen and you are very good friends. Why would you want to get rid of that?” James swallowed. The fear about his relationship with Qrow returned in a wave, leaving his body shaking. He licked his lips, flexing his right hand again.

“What Qrow and I are is not relevant to this conversation,” said James, slowly.

Penny narrowed her eyes and folded her arms across her chest. Her gaze remained resolutely to the left of his head, looking at the tick-ticking clock in the kitchen.

“You told me not to keep secrets,” said Penny. “You shouldn’t either.” Her voice was so calm that James couldn’t quite believe it. It was the exact voice he’d used less than an hour earlier, when he’d walked out on Qrow. The steel in it sharp enough to cut.

God, what had he done?

“You need to go to bed,” said James. He wasn’t dealing with this, not now. He needed to sort out his head. He needed Penny to sort out hers. If they were going to fight – and god, they were, weren’t they? – then he needed a firm defense. Penny was tearing through everything he had with only a handful of words.

“I’m not going to school tomorrow, am I?” There was something resigned in her voice. Something small and scared that made James wonder what answer she actually wanted.

“No, I don’t think so,” said James.

Penny nodded, her gaze dropping to the floor. She walked over to the stairs, every step heavy. But she paused, only a few steps up.

“What are you so afraid of?” she asked, without looking back.

“Last time I made a mistake about someone’s well-being, I lost half my body,” said James. “I don’t want that to happen to you.”

Penny sighed. “I _like_ your prosthetics.”

So did James, most days. But that didn’t make looking in the mirror on bad days any easier. Didn’t make the knowledge that he’d never have another intimate relationship any easier.

And a tiny voice in the back of his head asked, wasn’t that the exact reason he kept jerking back from Qrow? Fear of the reaction? Of the inevitable rejection?

He shook it off. He’d deal with it later – or never, preferably.

“I just want to keep you safe,” said James.

“And I want to live my life – as a person, as a teenager.” She clenched the banister, entire body tense. “As a _girl_.”

“You’re not like most girls, Penny,” said James.

“I know,” said Penny. “I’m the one that has to look at myself naked, remember?” And then she was heading up the stairs and disappearing, and James wasn’t sure what to say to that.

He leaned against the front door, his head in his hands. He took a few deep, sharp breaths. Tried to keep himself calm. All he wanted to do was punch something. To scream and punch until he collapsed from exhaustion. But he bit it back. The aggression was unnecessary and a little bit terrifying.

He’d never laid his hands on someone before.

James pulled his hands from his face and stared at them. Clenched both fists and swallowed hard, eyes suddenly burning.

“Shit,” he breathed. “ _Shit._ ”

What had he done? What was he going to do?

How much had he just ruined?

He’d sort it out tomorrow. Maybe.

James sighed and headed into the kitchen. He had to pass Penny’s door to get to his own room. He’d wait until he was sure she was asleep. Then, perhaps, the door – open or closed – wouldn’t tempt him as badly.

* * *

 

When Penny didn’t come back to school the next day, Ruby started to get worried. She knew it showed, Yang kept looking at her funny, but she didn’t let it bother her. Instead, she kept an eye on Mr. Ironwood and Penny’s house until she saw the SUV pull out with Penny’s light still on.

Ruby headed out of the house, cookie tin in her backpack. She didn’t bother to call that she was leaving, Yang was doing homework with Sun and Dad was out at work.

And at some point, she really needed to deal with the fact that she kept calling her Uncle Qrow her dad. Yeah, he _was_ her dad, but he got this funny look on his face whenever she said it. And so did Yang.

Ruby marched down the street, bag slung over one shoulder, and stole away into the backyard of Penny’s house. She grabbed onto the lowest branch of the tree and pulled herself up into it, easily scaling the branches until she was level with Penny’s window. Then, she shimmied out onto the branch toward Penny’s window, leaned forward, and rapped on the glass.

Penny looked up from the book she had open in her lap, eyes wide. Ruby offered her a smile and waved. Crossing the room, Penny pushed open the window, still looking more than a little surprised.

“Ruby,” she said. “What are you doing here?” Her head swung toward her door. “You can’t be here, what if my father comes back? He said-”

“I know what he said, Penny,” said Ruby. She held out her backpack. “I brought cookies.”

Penny stepped aside, letting Ruby come into her room as she shut the window again. She seemed lost as Ruby set down her backpack and sat down on the end of the bed. Ruby offered her a smile and patted the space next to her. Hesitantly, Penny crossed the room and sat down on the opposite end of the bed, pushing her back into the headboard and wrapping her arms around her knees.

“My father says I shouldn’t talk to you anymore,” said Penny.

Ruby nodded. “I know. I thought it was stupid, so I came anyway.” Ruby rubbed her face. The bruises were still there, one of her eyes slightly swollen and her lower lip scabbed over from where it had split. Her ribcage looked about the same – a myriad of purple and green bruises that left her looking like a half-beaten piñata.

Her entire body ached. The painkillers she’d taken made her vision blur every now and again. Guilt clenched her stomach and made her entire mind twist and tumble upon itself. Ruby bit it back as best she could. Ignored it every way she knew how.

It was a losing battle. That was why she was here. Part of it, anyway.

“I needed to find out how you were doing,” said Ruby. She looked at Penny, eyes sliding over to Penny’s backpack. To the flag button with the pink stripes.

She’d looked it up. She knew what it meant. Had had a hunch since Cardin Winchester had commented that Penny’s “real” name wasn’t Penny. Ruby thought that was stupid. If Penny said her name was Penny, her name was Penny.

“You know,” said Penny.

“I do,” said Ruby. “I want you to tell me though. In your words.”

Penny took a deep breath. With slow deliberation, she looked up at Ruby, gaze immediately darting out Ruby’s shoulder. She stared at her knees again.

“Cardin Winchester hates me because I’m not a real girl,” said Penny. Ruby’s heart thudded hard in her chest in sympathy. In pain. “Because when he first met me, I thought I was still a boy.”

Ruby nodded, slow and careful. She didn’t want to upset Penny. “But you _are_ a real girl,” said Ruby.

“No, I’m not,” said Penny. There was a bitterness in her voice that made Ruby think she’d had this conversation not long ago. Tears prickled in the corners of her eyes.

Ruby spun on the bed and crossed her legs so she was facing Penny. “Yes, you are.” Ruby smiled at her. “You think just because we don’t have the same… bits and pieces, means you aren’t a real girl like me?” asked Ruby. She reached out and hesitated, thinking better of it. Penny reached out and met her halfway, tangling their fingers together.

“Ruby…”

“Penny,” said Ruby. She tightened their fingers together. “There are plenty of girls like you in the world, just like there are plenty of girls like me. Being one or the other doesn’t make you more real. It just means that some girls have a harder time convincing people that they _are_ girls.” She smiled, eyes warm even as it hurt her lip. “But you are a girl. You told me you were a girl. You keep telling me you are a girl. And I know you are.”

There was something in Penny’s eyes, soft and sad, that made Ruby want to reach out and hug Penny. She knew it was a bad idea. So she kept their fingers together. Kept her smile warm and inviting.

Penny was real. Penny was amazing and smart and beautiful and the greatest friend that Ruby had ever had. She wasn’t about to let Penny think she was anything less than that.

The sadness in Penny’s eyes turned to fear. “Cardin Winchester…”

“Cardin Winchester is a bully and dumbass,” said Ruby. Penny jerked at Ruby’s words, eyes wide.

“Ruby!”

Ruby shrugged. Retracted her hand as Penny retracted her own. “I know, I know, I shouldn’t swear. But he deserves it. He came after you. He deserves everything I can throw at him.” She bit her lip. He deserved more. He deserved everything _Yang_ could throw at him. But Ruby wasn’t one to endorse permanently destroying someone’s body. Although…

Ruby shook it off and returned to the task at hand. Another thought had occurred to her, on the way over. One that had Ruby silently seething.

“Is that why you got pulled out of school the first time?” asked Ruby. “Did you… transition back then?” Had Mr. Ironwood pulled her out of school because she’d transitioned? Was that why he was so overprotective? She didn’t quite _get_ it.

“When I started transitioning in middle school, a lot of people didn’t like it,” said Penny. “No one around here, of course. Everyone around here is great, even though none of them know. Except Ozpin and Ms. Goodwitch.” She sighed. Ruby was struck by how _similar_ they sounded now. How Penny’s stilted speech was slowly giving way to Ruby’s speech patterns. And how quick it was to turn back.

“And?” prompted Ruby.

Penny’s fingers went for her bow, only to hesitate when she realized it wasn’t there. She drew her hand back down to her knees. “But Cardin Winchester and his friends bullied me. They called me names that I will never repeat, and they tore my clothing and threw me into the boy’s bathroom.” Penny’s lip trembled, her eyes filled with tears. Ruby had never ached more to hug her. “He and his friends were expelled, and Cardin spent the last two years in juvenile hall. I think he was released several months ago.” Then, so quiet that Ruby almost didn’t hear her, “I never should have gone back to school.”

“ _Bull_ shit,” said Ruby. Penny jerked again. Ruby really need to stop swearing. But the want to fix everything – to smash and hug and help – was too strong to deny.

The words tumbled out of Ruby before she could stop them, two days of anger and frustration and pain spilling over into the bedroom. “You wanted to go back to school, I didn’t force you. I didn’t force you to go down that alleyway. You chose everything in your life lately that you wanted to do. And just because your dad doesn’t agree with that, doesn’t make it wrong.”

She leaped to her feet, pacing. “If Cardin Winchester comes back, we’ll be ready for him. I’m not going to let him take you away from me and I am _especially_ not going to let your dad do it either.” She smacked her fist off her palm. “If that means learning how to fight? I’ll do it. If that means learning to be angry? I’ll do it. I’m not letting anyone take the best friend I’ve ever _had_ from me!”

Penny stared, eyes half full of wonder and fear. Ruby wondered which part was directed at her.

She needed to dial it down.

“What if Cardin tells the school? I went to a special school across the city before. No one at the high school knows about me,” said Penny. She hugged herself tighter. “What if they find out?”

“They won’t,” said Ruby.

“But what if they do?” asked Penny.

“Then I’ll fight them too,” said Ruby, easily. She folded her arms, working her jaw the way Yang did when she was angry. She wasn’t sure she liked being angry, but it made her feel powerful. It made her feel _strong._ She wanted to be strong.

And if it meant she could protect Penny? She’d hang on to it.

“What do you want, Penny?” asked Ruby. Penny stared at her, eyes narrowed and head cocked in confusion. “Out of all this, what do you want? Do you wanna stay home? Do you wanna go back to school? Do you wanna disappear into the woods? Whatever you want, I’ll help, but _you_ have to choose.”

Penny seemed to think about it. Then, in a surprisingly serious tone, she said, “I want to go back to school. I like school. I worked hard to be in school.” She clenched her fists on her knees. “I want to learn sign language with Neo and learn how to understand jokes from Yang. I want to each lunch with you and play with clay in art class.” She took a deep breath. “I want to go to school.”

“Then you need to tell your dad,” said Ruby. “Can you do that?”

“Yes,” said Penny. She gave a firm nod, a glint in her eye that had Ruby grinning. “He wants to protect me, and I understand that. I want to be protected. I am very, very scared. But I want to go to school. And maybe that’s a bad idea, but it’s _my_ idea.” She swallowed. “We argued last night, and I did not continue because I was unsure.” Her eyes were soft as she looked over Ruby’s shoulder. “But I have you now. I can do this.”

“Yes, you can,” said Ruby. She grinned. “I know you can. You’re the strongest person I know.” And it was true. Penny was so amazing. So incredible. And Ruby wanted to give her the world on a silver platter. Show her friend just how amazing the world was when you weren’t scared.

She’d wanted to do it for Yang and Dad too, but they were often off in their own world.

“You’ve survived Cardin twice now,” said Ruby. “Third time? _He_ survives _us._ ” She emphasized the word by punching her fist into her open palm again. Penny was smiling now.

Then, her smile faltered. She frowned. “There was… one other thing.”

“What?” asked Ruby.

“My father blames you for what happened.”

Ruby snorted. “Oh, I know.” And she sounded _scarily_ like Yang as she said it. This was the part that was hard for her. The part she’d gone over a thousand times in her head.

Ruby started pacing, throwing her hands into the air. “But it’s not. I feel like it is, but I know it’s not. I have the _bruises_ to prove that it’s not.” She spun to face Penny, one finger in the air. “I’ve seen what happens when you let guilt consume you. My dad did it. My sister did it. My _dog_ does it sometimes. I’m not like them. I may be their family but I won’t let my guilt consume me.”

And she wouldn’t. She couldn’t. They needed her. Penny needed her. _She_ needed her. She could fight against the guilt and the self-pity and the frustration at herself. Channel it into something bigger and better. Into something she could use to fight the world that wanted to hurt the people she loved.

She took a deep breath. “Maybe I blame myself, but I’m doing something about it. I’m not going to wallow. I came here with a plan and I accomplished that plan. You don’t seem to be mad – you aren’t mad at me are you?” Penny shook her head. “Right, you’re not. So, everything is fine. Even if my stomach is still in knots, everything is fine.” Ruby took another deep breath. God, her stomach hurt. And her head was starting to spin from moving too much, the bruises on her ribs pressing at her.

“I’m not my dad – my uncle – I’m not. And I need to be stronger than both him and Yang if I’m gonna pull them both out of their guilt,” said Ruby.

“Why does your uncle feel guilty?” asked Penny.

Ruby leaned against the wall, looking at the floor. This part was always hard. But she wanted to tell Penny. She could do that.

“He blames himself for how my parents – my biological parents – died. But he _saved_ me and Yang. It wasn’t his fault.” The world blurred as tears gathered in her eyes. “It wasn’t. And people keep telling him that Yang’s motorcycle accident was his fault too, but it wasn’t. She just wanted to meet her biological mom and Dad said no and she _ran_.”

Ruby hiccupped. “If I hadn’t gone after her…” She trailed off. She could still smell the blood, some nights. Still feel Yang’s body warmth draining away in her hands. Still hear the sirens and her screams as they took Yang away.

It had been a long night in the ER, waiting for answers.

It had been a longer night once they’d been sent home, and Dad had destroyed the house and she’d gone to stay with Asper and Pearl.

She didn’t like thinking about those nights.

“The point is that I may be their family, and I’m proud of it,” said Ruby. She scrubbed at her eyes to clear the tears and took a deep breath. “But I’m stronger. I had to be. Always have. And I still am. And I’m gonna be strong for you too, okay?”

Penny nodded. Hesitantly, she climbed out of bed and stood across from Ruby. “May I ask for a hug?” she asked, holding out her arms.

Ruby nodded. “Yes.” She approached Penny slowly and enveloped her in a warm hug, holding her close until Penny tapped her shoulder to get her to pull back.

“We’re stronger together than we are alone,” said Penny, holding her at arm’s length. “A book taught me that. So, I’ll be strong for you too.”

Ruby wiped at her eyes again and smiled at Penny. “Thank you,” she said. She grabbed her backpack off the floor and pulled out the cookie tin. “So, cookie?”

* * *

 

It had been a long night at the bar, and as Qrow pulled away from the curb, he was grateful it was over. His eyes were starting to burn and his head spun a bit. He was tired. He was sore. He was still shaky and upset and he just wanted to drown himself in alcohol and sleep for a week.

He hadn’t wanted a drink this badly since… since Yang’s accident, actually.

Qrow swallowed hard and forced himself to count to five. If he kept up like this, he was liable to swerve off the road and end up buried in a telephone pole. That wouldn’t be good for anyone, even if he didn’t feel much like dealing with his head right now.

He kept driving, forcing himself to count and watch the road instead of letting his mind drift to James. To his anger and his snarling. To the light bruising Qrow now had because of him. To the way he’d been so terrified at what James would do to him. To the way the girls had stayed with him all night long…

Qrow shook his head and forced himself to take a breath. He stopped at a stoplight and squinted, seeing someone running down the street on his passenger side.

A girl with long black hair and a bow on her head. Short sleeves and a scarf wrapped around one arm. It was too cold out for that, and Qrow wondered why she wasn’t wearing a jacket.

The girl skid to a stop next to his car and banged on the window. Qrow rolled it down.

“Please,” said the girl. Her face was streaked with blood and dirt and tears, a purple bruise hung under one honey golden eye. “Help me, please.” A broken sob passed her throat. She looked back. “He’ll find me. He’ll find me.”

Qrow unlocked the door. “Get in,” he said.

The girl stared at him. Blinked. Tears slid down her face. She opened the door and climbed into the car. Qrow rolled up the windows and drove off again, turned the corner toward his house.

“My name’s Qrow,” said Qrow. He dug out his wallet and handed her his driver’s licence. “Qrow Branwen.” A picture of Yang and Ruby fell out of his wallet and the girl picked it up, stared at it curiously.

“Blake,” she said. “Are these your daughters?”

Qrow nodded. “Yeah, you know them?”

“Sort of,” she said. She was frowning, rubbing at her bruise with one free hand.

“You wanna go to the police?” asked Qrow.

She shook her head, sharp and sudden. “No. He’ll… he’ll find me there. They’ll let me go and he’ll find me again.” She rested her head against the window. Stared like a deer caught in the headlights at nothing. “He always does.” There was a haunted tone to her voice that made Qrow go cold. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw she wore a choker.

On closer inspection, he realized it wasn’t a choker.

It was a cat collar, complete with bell.

Qrow felt the bottom of his stomach drop out. Felt his entire body heave for a second.

 _He’ll find me_ , she kept saying. _He always does._

Who was this man, Qrow wondered, and how could Qrow keep him away from Blake?

“What about my place?” asked Qrow. “I’ll keep all the doors unlocked, tell you every street we go by and how to get back to downtown, and I’ll let you choose who goes in first. You can even meet my daughters before you make a decision.”

Blake looked at him, eyes shimmering with tears. Slowly, painfully, she nodded, lip trembling. Qrow noticed it was split. Just like Ruby’s. His heart ached for her.

“Okay,” she said.

“Okay,” echoed Qrow, and he turned another corner toward home, hands clenched on the steering wheel to keep himself from seething with rage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are love!


	15. Welcome Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wooo! Regular updates for all the things! We're introducing some new players this act, so stay tuned. Hope y'all enjoy it!

Qrow pulled into the driveway just as the snow stopped falling. There was maybe a foot of it total now, with drifts along the edges of the streets a few inches higher. He cut the engine and took another glance at Blake, who was clutching at his cellphone as she stared up at the house. Qrow had gotten her to text Yang as they drove, telling her to meet them outside.

The front door opened and Yang came out, dressed in her boots, coat, and pyjamas. She flashed Qrow a worried smile, brow furrowed.

“Ready?” asked Qrow.

Blake nodded, the gesture slow and shaky, and got out of the car. She was still clutching his phone.

“Hey, you’re the girl from the pet store,” said Yang. “Blake, right?”

Blake nodded again. She looked around at the house, eyes welling up with tears. Qrow swallowed hard and flashed a smile to Yang, double checking that the car doors were locked before he padded up to the front door, careful to let Blake keep him in her peripherals before he passed her.

“I’m Yang,” said Yang, holding out her hand. Blake’s eyes focused on the yellow metal for a second. “Whatever you need, we’re here.”

“Thank you,” said Blake, voice barely above a whisper. She fidgeted with the phone, still gripping it tightly. “I…” She looked away from both of them, hair falling across her face. “Thank you.”

“No problem,” said Qrow. Blake shivered, rubbing at her arms. Qrow made a note to get her a jacket in the morning. Even if she ended up taking off, he wanted to make sure she had something to wear. “You want to go inside?”

Blake stared at the house. She swallowed visibly and gave a terse nod, eyes wide and breath coming in slow, sharp inhales and exhales through her nose.

“Okay,” she said. “Where’s your other daughter?” She looked at him, brow furrowed.

“Sleeping, I assume,” said Qrow. He glanced at Yang, who nodded in confirmation. “Ruby needs the rest, she’s had a rough couple of days. But she’ll be happy to meet you in the morning.”

Another nod from Blake. Her entire body was one long line of tension. Bunched up and hunched over like she was trying to take up as little space as possible.

Qrow opened the front door and gestured into the house. Blake studied him closely, then nodded to him. Qrow stepped in first, Yang behind him. He turned to see Blake slink through the door, curled around the cell phone like it was the only thing keeping her alive.

Qrow could relate. He and… his sister had been runaways once. The only thing that had kept them going some days had been each other. Until Tai and Summer, that was. But that was in the past. It didn’t matter anymore.

It didn’t.

“Welcome to my humble abode,” said Qrow, gesturing to the living room. “Lemme get you some blankets from upstairs.” When he got a little nod from Blake, he headed up the stairs and toward the linen closet.

As he reached the closet, he took a deep breath and stopped, leaning heavily against the door with his forehead pressed into it and one hand fisted against the wall.

There was a homeless girl – definitely abused, probably traumatized – standing in his living room with Yang. He had no idea who she was beyond her first name, and that was assuming she had given him her actual name, and there was some kind of man – probably a predator – after her.

This definitely wasn’t how he had expected his evening to go. But she was here. Yang was willing, and Qrow was fresh out of ideas.

So he took a breath to steel himself, dug out some sheets, a blanket, and a pillow, and then ducked into Yang and Ruby’s room for a second to grab a t-shirt and some purple pyjama pants. That done, he headed downstairs and tried to make himself look as non-threatening as possible.

Yang was leaned against the couch, hands moving swiftly as she regaled Blake with the story of how she’d vanquished a hornet’s nest last week. Blake seemed somewhere between amused and lost, but her shoulders were looser than before, so Qrow took it as a victory.

“Didn’t know if you wanted to wear pyjamas or not, but I grabbed some of Yang’s,” said Qrow, holding them up. “They should fit you.”

Blake’s eyes flicked, almost imperceptibly, to Yang’s chest. “Right,” she said. “Thank you.” Qrow fought the urge to react. It had been a while since someone had made a crack about that particular aspect of Yang. And it was the first time he’d never seen Yang notice. Maybe she was too busy trying to make Blake comfortable.

“Powder room is that-a-way,” said Yang, pointing. Blake nodded and took the bundle of clothing, then disappeared down the hall. Once she was gone, Yang flashed a grin at Qrow and helped him make up the couch for Blake.

“You know her,” said Qrow.

“Vaguely,” said Yang. “Saw her with the guy she’s running from.”

“Think she’ll be here in the morning?” asked Qrow.

Yang sighed and fluffed the pillow before dropping it onto the end of the couch. “I dunno,” she said. She rubbed her left hand across her right arm. “I really don’t know.” Yang bit her lip. “Uncle Qrow, Ruby looks _really_ rough right now.” Her voice was soft, just barely above a whisper. “If Blake sees her, she might get the wrong idea.”

“Right,” said Qrow. He’d forgotten about that. He rubbed the back of his neck and sighed deeply. “We’ll figure it out in the morning.”

Yang nodded. Qrow wanted to say more, but, a moment later, Blake reappeared, wearing the black t-short top and purple sweatpants. Qrow spotted bruises and scrapes on Blake’s arms, most of them hand-shaped, but didn’t ask. He also saw Yang swallow and lick her lips, a glaze appearing over her eyes and a flush reddening her ears. She shook it off a moment later.

“Hey, they fit well,” said Yang, voice a little hoarse.

Blake nodded and tugged at the top. “It’s a little loose, but I like it.” She looked at Qrow and Yang and offered them a shy smile. Qrow noted that she was holding her clothes under one arm, but the collar was still around her neck. He tried not to grind his teeth at its existence.

“We’ll be upstairs if you need anything,” said Qrow. “Kitchen’s through that door,” he gestured, “so if you get hungry or thirsty, help yourself to anything in there you want.” He was glad that the alcohol was currently stuffed under his bed. Even if it _wasn’t_ something he was terribly proud of.

“Thank you,” said Blake, voice small.

“Sleep well, Blake,” said Qrow. “We’ll see you in the morning.”

Yang nodded. “Night, Blake!” She followed Qrow up the stairs, where she paused and slumped against the wall next to her room.

Qrow raised an eyebrow. “You all right?” he asked, voice soft.

She groaned and rubbed her hands over her face. “Oh my god, I’m so fucking gay,” she hissed. She put her hands over her face and looked at Qrow between her fingers. “We gotta keep her safe, Uncle Qrow.”

“We will,” he said. “I promise.” Yang nodded and headed to bed, and Qrow hesitated a moment longer at the top of the stairs, watching the light go out. Then, he headed to his own room.

He’d figure out what to do in the morning.

* * *

 

James awoke just after seven to a pounding on his door. He stared at the ceiling, squinting. The pounding ceased for a few seconds, then it resumed again almost immediately. He sighed, rubbing his face, and rolled out of bed.

He followed the pounding to his front door, still squinting at the sun streaming in through the curtains. From this side of the door, he couldn’t tell who was on the other side, and he couldn’t guess either. He’d told Qrow not to come around – something he was regretting more and more as every day passed – and Yang and Ruby hadn’t come around either, to his knowledge. It could have been Glynda, or Ozpin, but the knocking didn’t suit either of them.

It was too rhythmic. Too measured.

James opened the door, dressed in only a t-shirt and sweatpants, and came face to face with Winter Schnee. She stood in parade rest, entire face firm and eyes forward. They flicked upward to look at James, the rest of her head following shortly after.

“Sir,” she said, voice clipped.

“Winter,” said James, voice fond. A slow smile spread across his face. “I didn’t realize you were back in the country. Come in, come in.” He stepped aside to let Winter into his house and shut the door behind them both. “How are things?”

Winter swallowed, glancing around the house. It had changed a bit since she’d last been there, almost a year and a half ago. He’d painted the living room light blue at Penny’s request, and the kitchen had a new backsplash. New pictures and new certificates were scattered around the house, and he’d bought a new loveseat as well, after the old one had been worn down from one too many movie nights with Penny.

“I…” Winter stopped, dropping her gaze. “Well. You see.” She licked her lips. James frowned and tentatively reached out, resting one hand on Winter’s shoulder.

“Winter,” said James, “you know you can tell me anything.”

“I forgot I didn’t have a home,” she croaked. She wouldn’t look up from the floor. “My father disowned me while I was overseas, and when I returned, I forgot to make arrangements.” She grimaced, shoulders shifting as she flexed her hands behind her back. “Apologies.”

James nodded slowly. “That’s why you came here.”

“Yes,” she said.

James nodded again. “The guest room will need a bit of cleaning out, I have some supplies there, but it’s nothing I can’t move to the basement. We should be able to set it all up before night time with any luck,” he said, rubbing his face.

“Pardon, sir?” asked Winter. She furrowed her brow, chin raising enough to look at least partially at him through her severe bangs.

“You need a place to stay, do you not?” asked James.

Winter nodded.

“So stay here,” said James. “As long as Penny is fine with it, so am I.”

Winter seemed to stare at him for an impossibly long amount of time. She was as silent and as still as she ever was, but her eyes betrayed her emotions. They flickered between a dozen things – eyebrows and lips twitching with them – before finally settling on something close to relief. Tears welled up in her eyes, a broken sob slipped from her throat, and she clapped a hand over her mouth to hide the rest of them.

Hesitantly, James reached out with his other hand and set it on Winter’s shoulder, then he drew her close, allowing her to rest her forehead on his covered chest. She went tense for a moment, before her hands fisted his shirt and she collapsed against him, crying quietly.

James held her close, rubbing her back and murmuring words of comfort into her hair.

“You’re family,” he whispered. “I won’t let anything happen to you.” He pressed his face into her hair and held her there for a minute. Let her cry until she seemed to calm.

“Thank you,” she whispered. “Thank you so much.”

James slowly guided her into the living room and onto the couch. She clung to him, her careful bun coming undone with the shaking of her shoulders.

“Family is a lot more than just blood, Winter,” said James. “Remember that.” He drew back to tilt her chin up and look her in the eye. “I will always be there for you, especially after what your father did to you.”

It was something James had too much experience with. A father who had gotten rid of him when he’d made his preferences known. He’d vowed, from that day forward, to always be accepting of people and their differences, and to always do his best to understand them.

He’d managed pretty well with Penny, until their recent fight. Then he’d mis-stepped, misspoke, and hurt her enough that James didn’t know if she was going to forgive him any time soon.

Speaking of which, James heard the telltale thump-thump of Penny coming down the stairs. He looked up, Winter pulling back to sit on the opposite side of the couch, and saw Penny appear at the doorway into the living room. She was wearing her backpack and her shoes with the lucky laces.

“Penny, what are you doing?” asked James.

“I am going to wait for the school bus,” said Penny. She tugged at a strand of hair. She looked odd without her bow, James noticed. He was far too used to seeing her wearing it. “Hello, Miss Winter.”

“Hello, Penny,” said Winter.

James cleared his throat. “Would it be all right if Winter stayed with us for awhile?” he asked.

“Yes,” said Penny. She turned and faced Winter, gaze flicking to her impeccable white outfit. “We will clean the guest room for you. I will talk to you after school. I must catch my bus.” She nodded to James. “Father.”

James was on his feet in an instant. “Penny, I told you I thought you should stay home.”

“I recognize that,” said Penny, “but given that I disagree, I have decided I will be attending school today.” She put her hand on the doorknob. “Good day, Father.” And then she was opening the door, stepping out, and shutting it behind her before James could recover.

What just happened?

“She’s certainly changed,” said Winter, a touch of amusement in her voice.

James rubbed his fingers through his hair, still staring in shock at his closed front door. “Yes, she has,” he murmured. And, if he was honest with himself, he had no idea how he felt about that.

What was going on with he and Penny lately? And how could he fix it?

James sighed and headed into the kitchen to make coffee. First, Winter. Then, Penny. He could handle this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are love! <3


	16. Companionship

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hurray for regular updates! In this chapter: we get Penny's POV!

Morning came with the shrill shriek of an alarm clock and a low groan from Qrow. He rolled over, slapped off the clock, and squinted into the darkness. The sun was rising later and later each day, and with his curtain down, Qrow could only just see the shifting lights of the sunrise through the slits.

It was seven in the morning.

He rolled out of bed and pushed himself upright, ensuring he was fully clothed before stumbling out of the bedroom, one hand on the wall.

He had to wake up the girls for school. Had to make sure they had breakfast and lunch. Had to…

Last night returned to him.

There was a girl on his couch. A homeless girl wearing a cat collar named Blake. A homeless girl named Blake who had a predator on her tail, so to speak.

Qrow grimaced and rubbed his face. Oh, this was going to be a fun morning.

He turned around and headed back for Yang and Ruby’s bedroom as he made a checklist for the morning. First, talk to Ruby and make sure she knew what was going on. Second, double check that Blake was still here, or that she’d at least made off with all the good silverware, so that Qrow didn’t have to worry about her going hungry. Third, talk to Blake if she was still here and figure out what she wanted.

After that, well, he’d figure it out. Eventually.

Sighing, Qrow rapped lightly on the bedroom door and waited for it to open. Yang squinted at him, her light still off, and sighed. She flicked on the light and shuffled past him, rubbing at her eyes. Qrow ducked into the bedroom just as Ruby sat up, and he took a spot on Yang’s bed across from Ruby.

“Dad?” mumbled Ruby. Qrow bit the inside of his cheek to keep himself from correcting her. She’d been calling him that ever since the phone call, and Qrow wasn’t sure what to make of it. He wasn’t her dad. He’d raised her, but he wasn’t her dad. But then, did she even remember her parents?

Qrow didn’t know. He didn’t think she did. But then, they never talked about Summer and Taiyang.

“Morning, kiddo,” said Qrow, keeping his voice soft. “You wanna sit up? I have a few things to tell you.” At Ruby’s frown, Qrow added, “Nothing bad, just some news. C’mon, get up.”

Ruby rubbed her eyes and scooted against the wall. She curled her arms around her knees and rested her chin on them, watching Qrow with wide, silver eyes that were still marked with sleep.

“What’s up?” she asked.

“There’s someone downstairs,” said Qrow, slowly. “Her name is Blake. Yang said that you two ran into her at the pet store, once.” Ruby furrowed her brow and nodded, lips pursed. “She spent the night. She’s…” Qrow wasn’t sure how to explain it.

He looked at Ruby. At the scab on her healing lip and the bruises under her eyes that were starting to fade. At the marks along her arms that were hidden from wearing hoodies in the cold weather. She looked rough.

Yang was right, Blake wouldn’t take this well.

“She’s had some bad things happen to her,” said Qrow after a moment of silence. He leaned forward, elbows rested on his legs and hands clasped together between his knees. “I don’t know the extent of it, but I know she needs help.”

“Okay,” said Ruby. “How can I help?”

“For starters? Wear a hoodie, and make sure you explain to Blake what happened to your face _without_ scaring her. Can you do that?” he asked.

Ruby nodded.

“And, I don’t think you and Yang are going to school today,” said Qrow. “If Blake is still around, I want to get some things for her, and I think it’s best if you come with me.” He ran over the bills in his head as he spoke. There was enough wiggle room for Blake to fit in pretty easily, and, over time, he figured that’d get better. He’d gotten a payment behind on his car, which was frustrating, but next month…

He shook it off. No, he shouldn’t have been thinking long term. Even if he wanted to, it was up to Blake. Besides, what if the girls didn’t like Blake? What if they wanted her gone? Just because she and Yang had gotten along last night didn’t mean it would last long term.

But he wasn’t going to let her walk out of this house without something to wear for the winter and some idea of how to protect herself from this guy.

“Okay,” said Ruby. She climbed out of bed. “Downstairs?”

“Yup,” said Qrow. He got up and headed downstairs, letting Ruby get dressed.

The living room was empty, although Blake’s original clothes and the blankets and pillows were still on the couch. Qrow narrowed his eyes at the couch and tilted his head. He could hear voices coming from the kitchen, and he followed them through the doorway.

Yang was leaned against the kitchen counter, grinning, no doubt having just said some terrible pun. Blake was seated at the kitchen table, a look on her face that Qrow would describe as somewhere between horrified and incredulous. Cradled in her hands was a cup of what he figured was tea, seeing as the coffee machine was still slumbering and the drink was steaming.

“That was terrible,” said Blake.

Yang grinned. “’Course!” she said. “I specialize in terrible puns. I’m a pun master.” She stabbed a thumb toward herself, still grinning. Blake just shook her head.

“Morning,” said Qrow. “Nice to see you’re still here, Blake. I was worried you’d take off.”

Blake shrugged, looking away. “I didn’t wake up until Yang came downstairs,” she mumbled. “Thanks for letting me stay, um…”

“Just call me Qrow, if you want,” said Qrow. “Or Mr. Branwen. Either is fine.”

“Qrow,” said Blake, voice soft. “Thanks.”

“No problem,” said Qrow. “Listen, I was wondering if you’d be bothered if I wanted to buy you a winter coat. Just looking at that shirt of yours in the living room is making me cold.”

Blake seemed to falter, mouth opening and closing several times without saying a word. She pressed her lips together and looked away.

“If it makes you uncomfortable, I won’t,” said Qrow. “But you don’t need to pay it back. You don’t need to do anything for it. I’m a father, Blake, I don’t like seeing people go cold.”

“If it makes you that uncomfortable, you could always wash dishes,” said Yang. “You know, if you wanted to stay for a while.”

Qrow narrowed his eyes at Yang. “Isn’t dish washing _your_ chore?” he asked.

Yang gave him an innocent look. “Maybe.”

Qrow shook his head and turned his attention to Blake just as Ruby walked into the kitchen.

The reaction was instant. Blake’s eyes went wide, one hand went over her mouth, her shoulders tensed, and she shifted her weight to one foot, instantly ready to run.

“Hey, Blake, I’m Ruby,” said Ruby in her usual perky tone. She was in her favourite red hoodie, hands jammed in her pockets. “Don’t worry about my face, I got in a fight with a bully last week.”

Blake kept staring. Gaze flicking from Ruby to Qrow and back again. She didn’t relax, but the fear in her eyes seemed to minimize.

“Hey, come on,” said Yang. “Does he look like he could beat someone up?” She gestured to Qrow and he scoffed, more than a touch offended. “He’s a noodle. Our noodle-y uncle.”

Blake’s eyes narrowed. “He said he was your dad.”

“He is,” said Ruby. “He’s also our uncle. It’s a long story.”

“Evidently,” murmured Blake, raising an eyebrow. There was a tension in her now, pulled across her shoulders and her face, that made Qrow swallow hard against the pit in his stomach. He didn’t want to scare her. He only wished there was an easier way to make that evident to her. But there wasn’t, so he’d just have to be patient.

“Please let us buy you some clothes,” said Ruby. “If you stay or go doesn’t change that you need clothes.” Her voice was soft, her eyes inviting, and there was a warmth in her smile that Qrow and Yang had never managed to master. They were Branwens, after all, built to fight and built to take hits. It had been Summer that soothed rough edges, Summer that people easily trusted, and Ruby had inherited every bit of her huge, compassionate heart.

“Okay,” said Blake, quietly.

Ruby nodded. “Then it’s settled. Uncle Qrow, go get dressed. We’re going to Walmart!” And really, thought Qrow as he headed up the stairs, no one should have been _that_ excited about going to Walmart. But then again, it was Ruby.

She loved everything and everyone.

* * *

 

Ruby and Yang were not at school. That was the first thing Penny noticed upon arriving at the school. The second thing she noticed was that Pyrrha Nikos had bandages on her dominant hand and her boyfriend, Jaune Arc, had a black eye. Those who did not know Pyrrha or Jaune would assume that she had hit him. However, Penny knew enough about them both to deduce that someone had hit Jaune, so Pyrrha had hit them.

It made much more sense, that way. Pyrrha would never hurt Jaune. She would, however, hurt many people _for_ Jaune. The question, then, was which person Pyrrha had hit.

Penny would keep an eye out for absences today. It would most likely be someone not at school.

She headed into the school, following her usual path and holding on tightly to her backpack. At the edge of the hallway, she wasn’t jostled, but her backpack was, and Penny practiced her breathing to keep it from bothering her. Usually, Ruby and Yang stood next to Penny to ensure she wasn’t jostled by anyone. But they were not there today, so Penny had to make due other ways.

She could handle it. She knew she could.

Her first class went well. She sat in the corner, near the sun, and took notes for Ruby and Yang, ensuring they did not use the shorthand she was so fond of. In second class, she spent several minutes clicking a pen as her classmates got louder and louder in their discussions, and excused herself quietly to pace around the hallways until she was sure their discussion was over.

By the time lunch came, Penny was unsure of what to do. The cafeteria would be far too loud without Ruby and Yang to focus on, and Penny didn’t know if there were other places she was allowed to eat.

She ended up sitting on the stairs near the back of the school, munching on her sandwich and sipping her juice while sitting halfway up the stairs. For several minutes, she was alone, and then the clunk-thump-clunk of Mercury Black’s boots came up behind Penny.

She shifted to one side, looking up through her bangs to watch as he went by. Instead, he paused and looked down at Penny. He had one raised eyebrow and his lips were pursed, though Penny wasn’t quite sure what that meant.

“Hello, Mercury,” said Penny. She let her gaze follow his bangs, then it darted down to the silver chain that disappeared into his shirt. “How are you today?”

“I’m good Penny P,” he said. Penny smiled, very small. She liked that nickname. It came from when she first introduced herself to her homeroom class as Penny Polendina Ironwood. Polendina was her middle name, and Mercury had said he liked the alliteration. “What’re you doing, sitting alone?”

“Ruby and Yang aren’t here today, so I am not eating in the cafeteria,” said Penny. “I do not know why they aren’t here, but I am worried.” She dropped her gaze to her half-eaten sandwich. “They have not answered my text messages.”

Mercury hummed. Penny didn’t know what that meant. “Come on, get up.”

“Why?” asked Penny. She stood up, frowning slightly, ensuring that her lunch was secured.

“You can eat in the art room, with me and Emmie and Neo,” said Mercury. “No point eating alone. Come on.” He started back up the stairs, giving a sweeping gesture for Penny to follow.

She followed him up the stairs and to the hallway, where she walked alongside him.

“Can I ask you something, Penny P?” said Mercury as they walked. Penny nodded, her gaze darting to his uneven hair and the scar over one eyebrow.

“Yes,” she said.

“What is up with you?” asked Mercury. “I don’t mean that in a bad way, don’t get me wrong. You’re cool, but you’re also weird as all get out.” He glanced over at her and Penny frowned slightly. “Is there something up with your head or…?”

“Oh,” said Penny, finally understanding what he was asking. “I am autistic.” She smiled a tiny smile at Mercury, swinging her arms as she walked. She knew enough about Mercury to deduce that he would not react in a horribly detrimental way, but her stomach fluttered and her heart beat fast in her chest, even as she spoke the words.

“Huh,” said Mercury. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked at the ceiling. “I never would’a guessed.” He looked over at Penny, but she kept her eyes forward. “Sorry for any offense, Penny P, don’t know the language.”

Penny nodded. “I have some pamphlets if you would like me to photocopy them for you,” said Penny. Her gaze followed the cracks in the ceiling. She wondered if they broke the building code for this hallway.

“I’d like that,” said Mercury. He stopped, resting one hand on the big, steel door next to him. “Here we are.” He pushed open the door and gestured with a big, sweeping bow. Penny hugged her bag close and stepped into the art room.

She didn’t know this room. There were two art rooms in the school and this one was for the junior and senior students, as opposed to the freshman or sophomore students, like Penny. It had enormous floor-to-ceiling windows along the wall opposite to Penny, and the large tables had four to six chairs around them. The room was full of pictures, paintings, sculptures, and many art supplies. It had a bitter smell, like drying paint, but the smell wasn’t strong enough to bother her.

At one table sat Neo and Emerald, whom Penny had talked to several times before.

“Hey, Penny,” said Emerald. Neo waved, smiling.

“Hello,” said Penny. She sat down at the table and Mercury sat next to her.

Neo waved again and Penny focused her attention on Neo’s moving hands.

_“Why alone?”_ signed Neo.

“Ruby and Yang are not here today,” said Penny. “They also have not answered my text messages.” She was worried, terribly so, even though there was no logical reason to be worried. Yang and Ruby were most likely sick and sleeping in order to ensure they healed quickly. When Penny got sick, she slept a lot.

They were probably fine. But without confirmation, Penny worried. They were her friends, she didn’t want them to be hurt, especially not after Ruby had been hurt on her behalf less than a week ago.

“They’re probably fine,” said Emerald. “Don’t worry about it.”

Penny was still worried about it. She wondered if it was really that easy for Emerald to stop worrying. That must have been nice.

Penny tugged at the bread on her sandwich, frowning. She wished she had Mr. Branwen’s phone number, at least then she could call him and see what was going on. Perhaps she’d go to the house after school. But then, her father didn’t want her to be around Mr. Branwen or his family.

Even now, Penny still thought that was one of the dumbest things her father had ever said. She tore up the small pieces of her sandwich bread, focussing on the movement underneath her fingertips. Rip and shred, rip and shred.

“Hey, Penny P,” said Mercury. Penny tilted her head to look at his shoulder through her bangs. “Did you understand that English assignment at all? I didn’t get what the prof was asking us for.”

“Dumbass,” muttered Emerald. Penny saw her roll her eyes. “It’s not that hard. You just-”

“I didn’t ask you,” said Mercury. “I asked Penny. So?” He was looking at her, Penny knew, but she couldn’t bring herself to look near him. It had been a while since people sat so close to her. They did not touch her, but they were close. Penny wondered if it would be rude to ask Mercury to move back.

Then, Mercury went sliding back on his own, wobbling on his chair. Penny glanced over and saw Neo wink at her. She did not know what that meant.

“Hey! Neo!” snapped Mercury. Penny frowned. Still unsure what had happened. Her gaze fell to Neo’s hands, then Emerald’s boots, then to the sculpture near the blackboard.

Neo signed something that Penny could not make out.

“Personal space,” echoed Mercury. He rolled his eyes and folded his arms. “Yeah, yeah.”

Penny cleared her throat. “I can explain the assignment if you would like,” she said.

Mercury grinned. “Please.”

“The English assignment is poetry analysis,” she began. “There were seventeen poems to choose from…”

As she continued on, discussing the assignment with as much detail as she could, Penny felt herself begin to relax slightly. She still was not quite sure why Mercury had invited her to lunch, nor what it meant for their relationship, nor did she know if Emerald and Mercury counted as friends, or if they wanted to be counted as friends.

However, they were willing to listen to her, and they didn’t ask Penny to look at them while she or they spoke, nor did they get close to her again. Neo kept her signs simple, or had Emerald translate through her, and they had a lovely conversation.

If nothing else, it was better than spending lunch alone, even if Penny’s mind was still partially consumed with thoughts of what had happened to Yang and Ruby.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are love!


	17. Truth's in the Shadows

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Keep moving forward, as a wise man once said. This chapter is pretty heavy in places, read it when you can.
> 
> Friendly shout out to everyone going through something lately. Pain sucks, and sometimes you need a helping hand to get through it. As someone going through shit right now, I know I appreciate every one of my friends talking to me. Love you guys. <3
> 
> This one is for you.

James heard the water in the bathroom turn on just before the door shut, and he knew Penny was taking a bath. Usually she mentioned something before she did, but with everything else going on, James wasn’t surprised that that had changed as well.

With a soft sigh, James headed into the living room, where Winter was seated on the couch, reading a book. James recognized it as a modern retelling of Carmilla, which James had bought for Penny before realizing how… sexual the story was. She looked up when James stepped into the room and he sat down in the easy chair across from Winter.

“Is everything all right, sir?” asked Winter. Her careful bun had a few loose hairs, and if she’d noticed them, he knew she’d go redo the bun.

“I don’t know,” said James, his voice soft. He combed his fingers through his hair, mussing the usually cared for appearance. The TV was off, leaving the house in silence except for the thin strains of music from the bathroom and the running water in the pipes.

James shook his head and stared up at the ceiling, his eyes tracking to where the bathroom was, just behind the stairs. “I have no idea what’s going on with Penny,” said James. “We’ve never fought this long before.”

“May I ask what happened?” asked Winter. She set down her book and rested it on her lap, closed. “You two were very close, last I was here.”

James frowned, his gaze flicking from Winter to the book in her lap, then to the lamp near her right shoulder. Exhaustion clung to him like an old, unwelcome friend. A sinking thing that latched on and refused to let go. Between Penny, Qrow, and Winter, James found himself more emotionally drained than he had in years, and with no true solutions in sight.

He wanted to sleep. He wanted to apologize. He wanted to turn back time and change everything so that he never spoke those harsh words he did not mean to either of the people he’d spoken them to. But time was a cruel mistress with a heavy, suffocating embrace, and she had no plans of letting go of James in the near future.

“I said a few things I shouldn’t have,” said James. _You’re not like other girls._ He grimaced. _Stay away from my family._ Rubbed his mouth. “To both Penny and to the… father of some friends she cared quite a bit about.”

“Father,” echoed Winter. She set the book down on the coffee table and crossed one leg over the other, hands in her lap and head tilted curiously. “Were you two… close?” There was a weight to her words that James knew he wasn’t imagining. A shift in her expression – a pulled brow, a pursed lip, a quiet frown in her eyes – that James saw clear as day.

“No,” said James. “But… we almost were. We were almost something.” He licked his lips and looked away from Winter. Stared down at his uncovered metal hand. He curled his fingers, once, then twice, then let his hand relax again. Ran the tips of his fingers over the smooth texture of the easy chair. “Now, we’re nothing.”

“Are you certain?” asked Winter. She leaned forward, only slightly. “Perhaps you are mistaken.”

The water upstairs shut off. The faint echoes of Jason Derulo through several walls and a floor reached James’ ears. He couldn’t make out the lyrics, just the telltale sing-song of the man’s name before the song began.

“You don’t pin someone to a wall and threaten them with physical violence and expect them to forgive you so easily,” said James, slowly. He looked at Winter, whose eyebrows were raised. “I said terrible things to Qrow, Winter. I do not expect him to want to see me any time soon.”

Winter hummed. She ran her fingers over the ring she wore on one hand. A ring from her time in service. “Indeed,” she said. “Often, I forget you’re capable of such things.”

“I have a temper, Winter,” said James.

“I’ve never seen it,” replied Winter, a challenge in her voice. “It cannot be so bad if you can control it, can it?”

James shook his head. “It’s not like that. That’s the second time I’ve done something like this to him. The first time he only forgave me because I was wrong. Because I apologized.”

Winter frowned. “Forgive me, I don’t know the entirety of the circumstances, but what kind of friend wouldn’t accept an apology if the apology is genuine?” she asked. She tilted her head at James, her asymmetrical bangs hanging in her eyes. She fiddled with her ring again.

“A man who knows the apologizer does not deserve forgiveness,” said James.

Winter’s frown deepened. “And what man believes he can make such assumptions?” Her voice was sharper. Her expression tighter. “What man believes he can choose who deserves forgiveness and who does not?” She sat up straighter, teeth bared. “If this _Qrow_ believes such things, do you truly believe that he deserves to be your friend?”

“Winter.” James’ voice was hard.

“ _James._ ” Hers was harder.

James faltered under her snarl. “You used to be more obedient,” he said, after a few long moments of silence. Her expression changed, falling from anger and frustration to sadness-tinted neutrality. She glanced at her ring, flexing her hand. Then, she glanced up at James, eyes as soft and distant as he’d ever seen them.

“I used to be a lot of things,” said Winter, her voice as soft and vulnerable as her eyes. “Funny, how one bad commanding officer can change all of that.”

James felt his stomach lurch. “Winter…”

“I didn’t leave the army, James,” said Winter. “I was kicked out.” She glanced up at the ceiling, eyes tracking to where the soft music was coming from. “You should talk to her.”

The subject change threw him, and he was unable to speak for several long moments. “What?”

Winter’s gaze turned to James. “You should talk to her. She deserves an apology, and she deserves to know what you’re thinking. Penny is a wonderful girl, James, don’t let one fight ruin your relationship.” She looked back at her ring. “Don’t let things go unsaid, sir. Don’t create a chasm between the two of you that you cannot cross.”

James was silent. Unable to find words.

Winter glanced up at him again, eyes shimmering in the low light, and then she stood, clearing her throat.

“I’ll head to bed now, I think,” said Winter. “Goodnight, James.”

“Goodnight, Winter,” said James, softly. He didn’t watch as he left the room, only listened to the precise, and soft, thump of her feet as she headed up the stairs.

Once he was sure he was alone, he put his head in his hands and took a few deep, shaky breaths.

He needed to talk to Penny. He needed to talk to Qrow. He needed to do something, and soon. But would they even want to listen to him?

* * *

 

Qrow arrived home sometime around two in the morning. It’d been a late night at work and he was looking forward to washing up, climbing into bed, and sleeping until the girls woke him up when they got up for school.

God, he was tired. The kind of seeping exhaustion that came from the fear of the unknown. It clung to him like a monster, eating away at his bones and his mind until all he could do was look at the next ten seconds. And then the next. And then on and on until he felt like he could make it through the day.

Blake. James. Yang and Ruby and Penny. School work and work-work and everything in between.

There was just too much going on in his life right now. He needed it all to slow down before he got caught up in the movement and ended up being pulled under. Down and down until all he could do was claw his way toward a surface that might not even be there.

Qrow rubbed at his head and stumbled into the kitchen, squinting in the darkness. Blake was asleep on the couch. Or was she in Yang and Ruby’s room? Or the spare room? He didn’t know anymore. He didn’t really know much beyond the exhaustion that clung to his limbs and the headache that split his skull down the centre, distorting his perceptions and his senses until he could scarcely see straight.

He got the fridge open, clicked on one of the under-cabinet lights, and poured himself a drink. Vodka, straight. There was soda in the fridge, but he didn’t feel much like mixing alcohol at the moment.

Qrow leaned against the counter, one hand curled against its lip, and drank deeply. Poured himself a second drink and drank until a comfortable warmth settled across his body. Until his headache and his troubles seemed a little further away.

“He used to hate drinking.” Qrow looked up from his glass and saw Blake, wearing Yang’s pyjamas, leaned against the door frame. She was hugging herself tightly and Qrow’s eyes went to the collar around her throat. His eyes always went to the collar around her throat. Outside, snow fell softly in the dark of the night, blanketing the world.

Christmas was coming. Qrow didn’t know what to make of that.

“Who?” asked Qrow, thought he had a feeling he already knew the answer. There was only one unnamed “he” in this household. A whispered word that seemed poisonous to all those who spoke it.

“Adam,” said Blake. It was the first time Qrow had heard her speak the name of the man who’d driven her to run. He found he didn’t much like the name. Short, unassuming. It wasn’t the name of a man who’d do terrible things. It wasn’t a name you heard and thought you should run. No. It was a perfectly ordinary name.

Qrow found he hated that most of all.

“He used to hate drinking,” said Blake. She padded into the room, silent as could be on her feet. “Said the smell made him sick to his stomach. Said it made people stupid, easy.” Her lips curled. “Said if you needed to drink, then you weren’t strong enough to deal with life’s problems.”

“Yeah?” asked Qrow. He set down his glass. “And how’d he deal with them?”

Blake tilted her head, tugging at the shirt to reveal a thin scar on one shoulder. “Violence.”

“I figured,” said Qrow. He glanced at the vodka bottle on the counter. Remembered the soda in the fridge. “I’ve got 7-Up in the fridge. You want a mixed drink?”

“I’m seventeen.”

“And?” asked Qrow. “You’re capable of making your own decisions.”

Blake seemed thoughtful for a moment, then she nodded, sitting down at the kitchen table. “Sure,” she said. “Nothing too strong.”

“’Course,” said Qrow. He grabbed the soda and poured Blake a drink, topping up his own before handing it off to her. They stayed there, in relative silence, drinking their drinks. Blake sitting and Qrow leaning on the counter. Blake made a face at her first sip, but kept drinking it, a look on her face that alerted Qrow to exactly why she was doing this.

Spite was a beautiful thing, after all. It could move mountains if it had to. But tonight, all it did was convince a seventeen-year-old girl to drink vodka in some kind of twisted salute to a man who had seemingly nearly destroyed her.

Qrow didn’t really say anything. He wasn’t sure what to say. He didn’t know what to think about this teenage girl, in his kitchen, drinking vodka and 7-Up. He didn’t know where she’d come from, or who had raised her, or anything about her beyond what he’d learned in that initial night. He and Ruby had bought her some clothes, but she still seemed to prefer wearing Yang’s, and despite having been in his house for several days now, Blake had yet to leave the house.

Maybe she was scared to.

Who was he to judge?

“He hated a lot of things,” said Blake. “He hated me having friends. He hated me going out on my own.” Her voice was slower now, smoother. “He hated everything I liked, but he said he loved me.” She stared at her drink. “He didn’t love me.”

“Doesn’t sound like it, no,” said Qrow, softly.

Blake sighed. “I was an idiot to stay with him.”

“You didn’t know,” said Qrow. He wasn’t sure what else to say. Wasn’t sure what else he _could_ say. It wasn’t his place. He didn’t want to overstep. If he overstepped now, then maybe she’d shut down all over again. Or else run. Qrow didn’t think he could handle either.

“I did, sort of,” said Blake. She took another sip, grimaced, and tossed the last third back in one go, as though she’d been going it for years. But her face said she hadn’t, so Qrow figured, again, that it was spite.

With a second grimace, she swallowed and set down the glass. “I knew he wasn’t… I mean I knew…” She put her head in her hands and sighed. “I don’t know,” she said, voice cracking and shaky. “I don’t know.”

There was a sob on that last sentence. A choked noise that made Blake tremble and curl in on herself, feet on the chair and arms wrapped around her knees. She took a few shaky breaths, her near-sobs echoing in Qrow’s ears.

He swallowed hard and set down his glass. Crossed the room and sat down in the chair across from her. Hesitantly, he held out his hand, palm up, on the table.

It took a minute, maybe two, but Blake uncurled herself in the chair and reached out, curling her fingers in his. Qrow tightened his hand as much as she tightened hers, smiling softly at her.

“I’ve got you,” murmured Qrow. “I’ve got you.”

“Thank you,” whispered Blake. And they stayed like that, each with one hand curled into the other, for a long while.

* * *

 

James tapped on Penny’s door, sometime around seven in the morning. When he received a gentle “come in”, he opened the door and found Penny standing in her pyjamas in front of her mirror, picking out a shirt.

“Good morning, Father,” said Penny.

“Good morning, Penny,” said James. He took a deep breath. “How would you like a ride to school? I think it’s time you and I talked.”

Penny looked up at him, her gaze on his hairline. “Of course, Father. I require twenty minutes to get ready.”

James nodded and left the room, shutting the door behind him. Soon, he’d have everything sorted out with Penny. Then, he could worry about Qrow.

But right now, he just needed to get dressed and find his car keys.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are love!
> 
> As long as you're here, why not check out another IronQrow fic? I recommend [The Take of a Lifetime](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6836251/chapters/15604519), a really awesome heist AU with Ironqrow and background crime dads. It's got a great concept, a regular update schedule, and a fabulous author.
> 
> Cheers y'all! And remember to spread the love. <3


	18. Blood in the Confessional

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not gonna lie, I love the name of this chapter so much. It's just the perfect mix of metaphorical and literal. Gosh. I love it.
> 
> So, this marks the halfway point of the story. 18 chapters down, 18 chapters to go. This also marks the midpoint of act two, of course. Things are happening, plots are plotting, and people are people...ing. Yeah. Let's go with that. We're also starting to reach the point of the story where we play "time to talk about backstories!" Because who doesn't love backstories, am I right?
> 
> As always, thank you to everyone who enjoyed the previous chapter. This fic is more popular than I ever thought it would be, and I'm just so pleased with it all. Cheers y'all! Hope you enjoy this one too.

It was a little after midnight and Yang, Ruby, and Blake were home alone. Uncle Qrow had called a little while ago to let them know he was working late tonight, and to not wait up for them. Ruby had been a disappointed, but hid it well, but Yang hadn’t minded. He was working hard, after all, and she figured he needed some time to be away from the house. What with Blake and James and Ruby and everything.

She wasn’t a problem. Since Ruby had started… being more _Ruby_ , Yang had tried to be the good kid for a bit. It was weird, to say the least. She wasn’t used to staying out of trouble, but Uncle Qrow had enough to deal with right now that didn’t involve her or her problems.

Even if her arm did hurt lately. Even if she wasn’t sleeping properly. Even if some of the other kids at school were being dicks. But it was fine. It was nothing Yang couldn’t handle. There was no reason to bother Uncle Qrow. She’d just keep helping out where she could and hope he felt better soon.

Yang frowned as she flicked off the bathroom light and headed down the hall back to hers and Ruby’s bedroom. The guest room light was still on, and the thin bar of yellow light cast long shadows across the hallway. Yang hesitated in front of the door, one hand raised to knock. Just as she lowered her hand, unable to knock, there was a quiet sob from behind the door.

Yang froze. She stared at the door, lips parted and eyes wide and tender with concern. Should she knock? Should she risk it? Yang pressed her palm flat to the door and closed her eyes, resting her forehead on the cool wood. She took one breath, then two, then three.

She knocked.

“Blake?”

The room beyond the door went perfectly silent. There were a few impossibly long moments where there was no sound and no movement. Then, the door swung open, and Yang came face to face with a bloodshot eyed, trembling lipped, Blake.

“Hey,” said Yang, softly. “Mind if I come in?”

Blake stepped aside. She wore one of Yang’s old pale nightgowns with a black housecoat, and she had on a pair of Yang’s black shorts. They stuck out just passed the nightgown, and the housecoat was open. Yang swallowed hard.

 _Shit._ She was too gay for this. Far, far too gay for this. But Blake had _enough_ to deal with right now. So she swallowed it down and shoved the thoughts aside.

Yang cleared her throat and looked away from Blake as she scooted into the room. Blake started to shut the door behind her, paused, and then left the door open a crack. She sat down on the edge of the bed closest to the door, and Yang took the spot furthest from. She crossed her legs on the bed and smiled at Blake, soft and encouraging.

“So, uh, what did you need?” asked Blake.

“I wanted to know how you were doing,” said Yang. “I know Ruby and I were back at school today, and I wanted to know if you were okay, and how your day went.”

Blake seemed to falter. “How my day went?” she echoed. Her words were slow and halting, disbelief tinging each lift in her voice. “Why?”

Yang shrugged and leaned back on her hands. “Because you’re cool and I like you,” she said. “So I want us to be friends.” She grinned. “If you don’t want to tell me, you don’t have to, I’m just curious.”

There was another long moment of silence. Of Blake staring at Yang with an unreadable look. Her lip trembled, her eyes watered, and Yang waited patiently, an easy smile on her face. Then, without warning, Blake burst into tears.

Yang let out a soft sharp exhale and twitched back as Blake buried her face in her hands. Sobs raked her smaller frame and the housecoat seemed to consume her until she was swallowed whole by it.

I’m sorry,” croaked Blake between sobs. “I’m so sorry. I can’t…” She broke off again, burying her face into her hands.

With a great about of hesitation, Yang reached out toward Blake. Six inches from her, she hesitated, frowning slightly. “Is it okay if I touch you?” asked Yang.

“Yeah,” said Blake, her voice a whimper. Yang scooted across the bed and put her arm around Blake’s shoulders. Then, slowly, she drew Blake forward into a hug. Blake buried her face into the crook of Yang’s neck and sobbed. Her tears soaked Yang’s shirt, her quivering shook Yang’s frame, but Yang held her through it. She stroked Blake’s back and whispered soothing words into Blake’s ear.

Quietly, she swore to kick the ass of the man who did this to her. But for now, she was needed here, and that was more important than her anger.

* * *

 

It was a little after two in the morning and the bar was still packed to full. Qrow stood behind the bar, chatting up the regulars, including a cute redhead with a penchant for terrible puns and overdramatic flair, while he mixed drinks.

As Qrow kept one eye on the bar itself, he kept chatting and mixing drinks, and he became aware of a second figure at his bar quite quickly. Qrow looked over and cracked a smile at the guy. His eyes were hidden behind sunglasses and he wore a worn, black leather jacket.

“What can I get for you?” asked Qrow, wiping down part of the black counter.

“Jaegerbomb,” said the man without looking up at Qrow. His gaze traced the bar and Qrow saw it linger on a few college girls who were regulars. Saw the way his gaze, hidden as it was, slid up and down the black-haired girl. His tongue darted out and slowly ran over his lower lip.

Qrow nodded, eyes narrowed. He grabbed the Red Bull – disgusting stuff, but it wasn’t in his nature to judge people based on their drinks. He would, however, judge the guy based on how he was eyeing up those girls across the bar like they were pieces of meat.

“Everyone all right, Qrow?” asked Roman, said cute redhead, from where he sat at the bar. “You look a little squinty.”

“Fine,” said Qrow. He finished the drink and slid it to the man with a nod. “Just thinking.”

“Yeah?” asked Roman. He leaned forward on the bar, elbows on the counter, head propped in his hands, and batted his eyelashes at Qrow from underneath his bangs. “It’s a good look on you, handsome.” He winked. “Maybe you should think more often. I like it.” His voice was a purr, a sly grin on his face. Qrow smiled back and leaned forward, already ready to return the flirtations.

The man at the end of the bar scoffed, a sneer on his face.

“Everything all right?” asked Qrow.

The man rolled his eyes – visible through the lift on his eyebrows and the shift of his head. “No. You mind? Some of us don’t wanna puke in our drinks.”

Qrow saw Roman bristle out of the corner of his eye. “Excuse me?” asked Qrow.

“Yeah, you heard me.” The man straightened up, sneering. “I don’t wanna deal with you freaks while I’m trying to have a drink. Keep it in your fucking bedrooms.”

“This is a free place,” said Qrow.

The man scoffed. “And this is freedom of speech, dumbass. Bad enough I think my girl is some fucking lesbian, I don’t need to see this shit at my bar too.”

“Your girl?” echoed Roman. The amusement in his voice was half masked by annoyance, but all was wrapped in a carefully absent tone. Qrow saw Roman clenching one first against the black bar counter. He fought the urge to put a hand on Roman’s shoulder. Didn’t need to antagonize this guy further. “What happened?” asked Roman.

“She ran,” said the man. He shrugged. “Took off in the middle of the night. But it’s all right, I’ll find her. Not many girls wear collars, after all.”

The glass Qrow was holding shattered.

“Qrow!” Roman’s voice was sharp and horrified all at once.

“You got a name?” asked Qrow, just barely able to keep his tone level. He systematically picked the tiny pieces of glass out of his hand, not looking at the man.

“Adam,” said the man. “Adam Taurus.”

Qrow nodded. He picked the last piece of glass out of his hand, dropped it on the counter, and then picked up his cloth. He didn’t speak as he wiped off his hand, nor as he set it down. Then, without warning, he let out a snarl and launched himself across the counter, grabbing Adam by his lapels and dragging him to the ground.

They hit the ground with Adam on his back and Qrow straddling him. Qrow drew back and slammed a fist into Adam’s face. The sunglasses went flying. Adam swore and grabbed Qrow by the wrists. Shoved him back and booted him in the chest. Qrow toppled over, Adam coming down on top of him. Stools fell over as they went tumbling down. Fists flew and so did snarls.

Qrow took a hit to the face. Then another. Then a third. Adam took one to the gut. Blood gushed down Qrow’s face as his nose cracked. He hit the ground, head snapping into the wood. He swore as he saw stars and tasted blood.

Qrow kicked at Adam, got him back far enough to shove himself upward and launch himself at Adam again.

“Enough!” The shout split the bar in half, quieting the cheering crowd around Adam and Qrow. Two of the men from the back room pulled Adam and Qrow apart, hauling them upright. Adam’s eyes, Qrow could now see, were bloodshot and shadowed.

Lisa Lavender, Qrow’s boss, stepped into the room. She had her hands on her hips, her severe bob throwing deep shadows across her throat and collarbone. Qrow could see stars dancing around her.

“Brutus, take this man outside. I do _not_ want him back here,” she said, sharply. The man dragged Adam outside, grumbling lowly. “And Qrow?”

Qrow looked at her as the other man put him down. The sharp, coppery taste of blood flooded his senses and his right eye was already swelling shut. He didn’t know what was up with his nose or his lips.

“Go home,” said Lisa. “And don’t bother coming in tomorrow. You’re fired.”

Qrow nodded, the entire world slowly going out of focus. The words echoed around him without setting in.

He stumbled outside to his car and slid in behind the wheel, locking the doors. Then, with his hands pressed to the wheel, he bent his head forward and let himself breathe. Tried to focus on something other than the sinking horror of realizing that he was out of a job.

That had been his only shot in town.

Now what was he going to do?

He looked in his mirror and saw how beat-up he was. Swollen eye, crooked nose, fat and split lip. Not to mention the bruises, minor cuts, and blood that smeared most of his face. He grimaced, felt the way it pulled and screamed at his face.

He couldn’t go home like this.

Qrow started the car.

* * *

 

The talk with Penny, and the three others that followed it, had gone well. They’d discussed quite a bit – Penny wanted to stay in school, James had relented; Penny wanted to talk to Ruby and Yang again, James had, reluctantly, relented. She’d brought up him talking to Qrow and James had shut her down, though with more than a touch of sadness in his voice. He’d deal with Qrow on his own time.

And that time was, apparently, two-thirty in the morning on the weekend.

James had been about to go to bed – Winter and Penny having long since fallen asleep – when the soft knock at his front door drew his attention. With a frown, James stepped out of his kitchen, setting down his mostly-empty tea mug, and padded, barefoot, to the door.

On the other side was Qrow, looking as bad as James had ever seen him.

“Qrow!” He couldn’t keep the surprise out of his voice, despite his soft tones. “What are you – are you all right?”

Qrow flashed him a weak smile, despite the blood and bruising on his face. “Yeah, I’m…” He slumped. “Not, not really.” The words were soft. A confession if he’d ever heard one. James stepped aside and let Qrow into the house.

“Kitchen,” he said. “There’s a first aid kit under the sink. I’ll put you back together.”

“Thanks,” said Qrow. He followed James into the kitchen and perched himself on the kitchen table. James felt Qrow’s eyes on him as he grabbed the first aid kit from under the sink, and as he wet a cloth under the tap.

James set the first aid kit down on the table and took Qrow’s face in one hand, using his right one to dab at the blood on Qrow’s lip with the cloth. Qrow was tense, that much was obvious from the long line of tension that made up his body. The way he clenched the edge of the table and the way he wouldn’t quite look at James.

With a soft sigh, James wiped away the blood from Qrow’s face, careful around his black and swelling eye. He didn’t speak as he worked, just focused on the small gestures of his right hand as he wiped away the blood, until the cloth was redder than Qrow and he had to run it under the tap again.

While it was rinsing, he grabbed an ice pack from the freezer, wrapped it in another face cloth, and handed it to Qrow, who pressed it over his eye.

“Thanks,” murmured Qrow. He still wouldn’t look at James. James wrung out the cloth, now only slightly pink, and got back to work. He cleaned off Qrow’s hands, noting the split knuckles, before wiping at the rest of the blood on Qrow’s face. His nose had obviously been crushed, but it didn’t seem broken, and when James set down the cloth, he straightened it out easily enough.

“Figured you’d know how to do this,” said James, his voice barely above a whisper. He ran his fingers across Qrow’s cheekbones, down his jaw, and across his throat, checking for injury. Nothing serious. Just the nose, the eye, and the split lip. “How’re your ribs?”

“Fine,” said Qrow. He was breathing easily enough, so James didn’t push it. “And I do, but mostly for other people.”

“Oh?” asked James. He raised an eyebrow at Qrow, tilting his head to look down at the other man. Qrow’s eyes were half-hooded and James tilted Qrow’s chin up. “Follow my finger with your eyes.”

Qrow did. “Yeah,” he said as his eyes tracked James’ moving finger. “Yang used to get in a lot of fights. I patched her up a lot. And Summer…” He trailed off. James released his chin. “She picked a lot of them too, over a lot of things.” Qrow grimaced. It split his lip again, the blood starting anew. “Both better fighters than I am.”

“Why fight then?” asked James.

“Guess I just needed it,” said Qrow. There was a sharp edge to his voice that had James cringing and looking away. Then, in a softer voice, Qrow said, “You know it hurt, what you said. I know I fucked up, James, but…” He sighed.

“I’m sorry,” said James. He stepped back and leaned against the counter, folding his arms – short sleeves, he was now noticing – across his chest. “I shouldn’t have said what I did.”

“Doesn’t change that you did,” said Qrow.

James sighed. “No, it doesn’t,” he agreed. “I’m sorry.” The words hung between them, heavy and small, all at once.

“The girls miss Penny,” said Qrow.

“And she misses them,” said James.

Qrow seemed to hesitate for a moment before he spoke again. “And I… I miss you.”

James’ gaze found Qrow, but Qrow was staring at the floor, hands drumming on the table quietly. “Qrow.”

“We were _friends_ , Jim,” said Qrow. His voice cracked a bit. “Good ones, at that.” He looked up at James through his bangs and through his eyelashes. “I thought… you and me… I thought we _had_ something.”

Silence.

James swallowed hard and rubbed a hand across his face. “Qrow,” he began, unsure how to continue.

“I know, it’s stupid,” said Qrow. “Forget it. I’m being stupid.”

“It’s not stupid.” James wasn’t sure who the words surprised more, Qrow or himself. He crossed the empty space between them to stand in front of Qrow. “You’re not stupid. Don’t say things like that about yourself.” He rested one hand on Qrow’s cheek and felt the way Qrow leaned into the touch. Qrow set down the ice pack and stared up at James, the swelling around his eye already lessening.

“Just tell me I’m wrong,” whispered Qrow. “Tell me there’s nothing between us. That I’ve been imagining everything that isn’t just friendship.”

James stared down at Qrow, his right hand cool against Qrow’s fac. And in a tiny whisper, so soft James barely heard it, he said, “I can’t.” And in the soft light of the yellow kitchen lamp, he leaned down, tilted Qrow’s head up, and met Qrow’s lips in a gentle, tender kiss.

It didn’t last long, only a few, scant seconds of contact as Qrow kissed back. James tasted blood from Qrow’s split lip but found he didn’t mind. When he pulled back, Qrow’s eyelashes were fluttering, and he stared up at James with flushed cheeks and dilated pupils.

Slowly, Qrow smiled, confused but warm.

“I wasn’t imagining things,” whispered Qrow, his voice hoarse and barely there.

James swallowed hard, feeling his heart beat fast in his chest. He stared at Qrow. At the bruises. At the smile. At everything that had happened between them. And, as quick as the softness of the night had captured him, a panic seized him back.

He swallowed.

“You should go,” said James, stepping back from Qrow.

“Jim?” The confusion in Qrow’s face was mirrored in his tone, and James looked away from Qrow so he didn’t have to see the hurt.

“Ruby and Yang are probably wondering where you are,” said James. “You should go.”

“Okay,” said Qrow. James heard him slide off the table. Heard the padding of his footsteps toward the door. Heard, “Goodnight, Jim,” just before the door clicked open and shut.

Once he was sure Qrow was gone, he crossed the room, the hallway, then locked the door. And then he slid down against it, back pressed to the door, and let out a soft choked noise.

Winter was in his guest room. Penny wanted to see Ruby and Yang again. Schnee was on his case about being behind on jobs. And Qrow, beat-up and bruised, had waltzed his way back into James’ heart.

They didn’t know enough about each other, he told himself. They’d been fighting for almost two weeks, he told himself. Qrow didn’t know about the extent of his prosthetics, or how he’d gotten them, or even what his family outside of Penny was. And he knew little about Qrow beyond the drinking and the accident that had put his nieces under his care.

It was a bad idea. It was a terrible idea. It made complete, logical sense to stay away from a relationship with Qrow.

But deep down, James wondered how much of that was logic, and how much of it was his own hang-ups, his own fears, and his own past clawing its way to the surface to tear apart what little confidence he’d regained in himself in the last few years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are love! Feel free to come chat with me on [Tumblr](http://anipendragon.tumblr.com/) too!


	19. Down, Down, Down

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Been a while, eh? Sorry 'bout that. Summer and I don't get along well. Like, at all.

Qrow waited until the girls were at school before he dug the booze out of his bedroom and started drinking. Didn’t even bother checking the label, just twisted off the top and drank straight from the bottle. It burned all the way down.

Probably whiskey, by the taste. He didn’t care. Just kept drinking until the world blurred out and his senses felt a thousand miles away. It didn’t matter, anyway. He didn’t have a job. He didn’t have a chance. He’d fucked everything up and lost the best friend he’d ever had. Lost everything they’d ever had.

They were going to have to leave again – him and Ruby and Yang. Blake wouldn’t come with them. She’d end up grabbed again. He’d lose all his friends. They’d lose all of theirs. And how was he even going to get the money to move? Or to sell the house?

Fuck.

It was hopeless. Useless. Stupid. He was stupid. Everything was _fucking stupid._ And it was all his fault. Because he couldn’t be happy. Couldn’t keep everything the same.

He’d ruined everything for everyone. Again.

He always did. Sooner or later.

God, he was such a fuck up.

Qrow kept drinking until the thoughts blurred out and all that was left was blurry self-hatred that couldn’t solidify.

* * *

 

James waited until Penny was at school and Winter went out for the day before he allowed himself to break. He went down to the basement, mostly used for storage, and dug out an old family album.

He pulled it open with shaking hands and stared down at the picture on the first page. James, at seven years old, his father on one side, his mother on the other. James let his right hand fingers trace his mother’s face, then pulled back. The silver looked wrong against her beauty.

The picture was taken a year before her death. If he looked closely, he could see the shadows in her eyes, beneath the wonder and the optimism, that betrayed her hidden illness. She wouldn’t tell James or his father about her illness for another four months. By then, it would be too late to do anything about it.

Staring at the album, James thought of his mother. Of her soft laughter and gentle smiles. Of her easy-going nature and selfless attitude. Of the way she’d minimized herself, over and over again, and tried to build James up into a better person than he thought he deserved to be.

She hadn’t been perfect, he knew that, logically. But she’d died before James had gotten past that stage in life, the one where a child thought their parents were perfect. He hadn’t thought that way about his father since he was seven years old.

It was hard to adore a man who thought you were a disgrace, after all.

And that’s what it all came down to, wasn’t it?

James had always been too emotional. Too prone to helping others with a bleeding heart. He liked baking, even if he did like football. He liked gardening, even if he did enjoy rough-housing. That combination, rough but soft, athletic but tender, was something his father always despised.

He claimed it made James too close to a _woman._ James still remembered the way the man had twisted the word around until it felt like a curse, like a slur. And then he’d start on about ‘the gays’ and how they were ‘ruining society’.

James hadn’t gotten out from under him until his father died of a heart attack when he was nineteen years old. He’d inherited the money, gotten out of the military, and taken off for the most liberal arts school with an engineering department he could get his hands on.

It was another five years before he came out. It was several more after that before he stopped hating himself. By then, Penny had been around. Small and sweet, and he’d fought hatred of both his heart and his new body in order to keep her safe.

It was hard to hate yourself when part of what you were was part of what your daughter was.

The day Penny was born he’d promised to keep her safe. To accept and love her no matter who she was. Of course, back then, her name hadn’t been Penny, and James hadn’t known she’d grow to be his daughter. But when she’d told him, he’d accepted her without question. Bought her new clothes, got her out of school when it got bad, and ensured the neighbourhood took it well as well.

The advantages to living somewhere liberal, after all.

And now there was Qrow.

It wasn’t that James was scared of dating a man. It wasn’t even that it was _Qrow._ It was Penny. It was him. Qrow’s girls were Penny’s best friends, the first people she’d connected with in years. And even if James was attracted to Qrow, and even if James wanted to be closer to Qrow, the man obviously had a lot of baggage – then again, so did James – and James didn’t know half of it.

He couldn’t risk it.

What if they ended up hating each other? What if they got to know each other better and it turned out they clashed on some fundamental level?

He didn’t know enough about Qrow. Qrow didn’t know enough about him. They needed to talk. They couldn’t risk it. He couldn’t risk Penny losing her friends.

James looked down at the album. At the stern look of his father. At the soft eyes of his mother. At the way that he looked more like his father but took so much more after his mother. His stance, his smiles, his eyes – they were all hers.

He didn’t hate himself. Not for his prosthetics and not for his sexuality. He could handle both of those, he knew it. Especially with Penny at his side.

No, he was more scared of the rest of what he’d inherited from his father. The anger. The anxiety that came from being part of that anger – both receiving and giving. He’d worked so hard to tap it down and Qrow drew it back out without even trying.

James didn’t know what to make of that. But it scared him.

What if he hurt Penny? What if he hurt Ruby or Yang? Or Winter?

What if, what if, what if.

James closed the album and curled up on the couch in the basement, his head in his hands.

There were no easy answers. Just like there were no easy questions.

What the hell was he supposed to do?

* * *

 

School sucked when your fingers didn’t work right, as Yang learned throughout that day of school. She scowled down at her twitching right pinky, which refused to move when she wanted it to, and sighed softly. She wondered how Blake was doing.

Blake’d left the house that morning with Yang, Ruby, and Penny, when Penny had joined up with them. Yang figured she was hiding in the library of the school with a book, waiting for them to get out for lunch.

Hopefully Blake would be all right on her own. She hadn’t really spent much time alone since Uncle Qrow had taken her it. It was a little worrying, but Yang tried to keep a positive face about it all. Blake was fine. …Okay, maybe not _fine_ , but she was alive and she was mostly stable. That was just as important.

“Ms. Xiao Long.” The voice came from the front of the room. Yang looked up from her twitching pinky to the professor. “Can you tell us the significance of mustard gas in the war?”

Yang frowned. “I mean, the stuff was completely poisonous, wasn’t it? Plus, it started something with the war laws, right? Started all the stuff about gases being illegal.”

The professor sighed. “Yes, Ms. Xiao Long, that’s technically correct.” Before he could finish though, the bell rang, and everyone scrambled for their bags and was gone within the minute, including Yang, who ducked out before anything else could be said to her.

The rest of the day passed slowly, and all Yang could think about was her Uncle Qrow. His drinking, his panicking, his lack of sleep and eating. The way he came home last night so late that Yang had woken up, even though she usually stayed up to see him.

Something had happened last night. Penny had noticed the same thing with Mr. Ironwood. He’d been sad that morning and hadn’t spoken much. If it was enough for Penny to notice, then it was a big deal.

Not that she wasn’t observant. Just that she noticed different things. Made it easier to tell when something was a big deal. Super handy.

The school day ended and Yang got ready to climb back onto the bus with Blake, Ruby, and Penny – Blake had spent the day with books in the library, like Yang had thought. Ruby and Penny chattered excitedly behind Yang. Mostly about presents and snow and decorating. Christmas vacation started in three days.

As Yang went to get on the bus, she saw a flash in the crowd. A red-headed guy with… a pink bow in one hand.

Yang’s eyes scanned the crowd for the others. Blue hair and green stood out. The guy whose eyes were mostly hidden was there as well. _Cardin Winchester._ She’d stalked his Facebook page enough to know who the four were.

“Yang?” Ruby’s voice was behind her. Yang stepped off the bus steps and flashed a smile at Ruby.

“I forgot something in my locker, go on without me, I’ll take the city bus,” said Yang.

Ruby nodded and climbed onto the bus. Penny followed after. Blake, however, hesitated, and Yang made herself smile brighter, hoping it reached her eyes.

“Yang?” The worry in Blake’s voice was mirrored in her eyes.

“Don’t worry, Blake, I’ll see you back at home,” said Yang. She put a hand on Blake’s shoulder and flashed her a smile. “I promise.”

Blake nodded, though she still seemed to hesitate, then she climbed onto the bus and was gone. With the three of them gone, Yang turned her attention back to Cardin Winchester. If he had the bow on him, then he was looking for Penny. And Yang wasn’t going to let him ruin school for Penny, especially after finding out why Penny had left her old school to begin with.

She was just as much of a girl as her or as Ruby. Anyone who told her otherwise was wrong. Including that jackass, Cardin Winchester.

Yang was going to get that bow back.

She followed Cardin through the crowd, keeping her senses peeled for the others. Dove, Sky, and Russel. They were smaller than her, but that wasn’t saying much. She wasn’t that much smaller than Uncle Qrow, after all.

Cardin’s trail took her back behind the school and toward the tree-filled side streets that led to the homely residential area that was just beyond the school. Yang followed him in the shadows until they were relatively isolated, her fingers on her right hand twitched, still not responding properly. All she needed was to form it into a fist.

“Hey, Cardin!” Her voice echoed through the trees. Cardin stopped in the middle of the street and slowly turned around to face her.

“Do I know you, blondie?” he asked. The smirk in his voice was mirrored on his face. Yang flexed both hands. Her right one locked into a fist. _Good._

“No, but you know a friend of mine,” said Yang. “And I want her bow back.”

Cardin raised an eyebrow. They were maybe twenty feet apart. The others hadn’t followed. Yang didn’t care either way. She could have taken all four of them in that moment. All around them, the snow muffled the sound and insulated the wind. Yang’s hair blew around her, her toque not quite holding it all. Her scarf blew with her hair.

She almost wished she had a camera. If only to show Penny what Cardin looked like when she was done with him.

“You mean the freakazoid?” asked Cardin with a laugh. “Man, some people are just crazy.”

Yang ground her teeth together. “Give me the bow, Cardin.”

Cardin grinned, all teeth, all predatory. “Why don’t you come and get it?”

Yang didn’t need to be told twice. She charged at Cardin and tackled him around the waist before he could flinch. Took him into the snow in the street and drew back. Right hand still locked in a fist. Drew it back and slammed it into his face. The crack of his nose, the gush of blood, Yang saw red. She wanted _more._

Cardin swore and booted her hard. Kicked her in the ribs but Yang didn’t slow down. Tackled him again and punched. One. Two. Three. Blood. Bruises. Scratches. Right arm jarred and then cracked. Lost mobility in it and switched to her left. Cardin got another punch in. Got her hard in the cheek and pain exploded across Yang’s vision.

The bow hit the snow. Yang got to her feet, snagged it with her left hand and scrambled backward. Cardin caught her ankle. She went down. Twisted over and booted him in the face.

“Bitch!” Cardin’s biting curse followed her up the street as she ran for the main streets to get home.

She had the bow. She couldn’t feel her right arm. She couldn’t move it. Pain bloomed across her right side and behind her eyes, spotting her vision.

But she had the bow. That was what mattered. And Winchester wasn’t in any shape to go after Penny any time soon. And if he did, she’d be there. Next time, she’d put him in the hospital. Preferably in the ICU.

Bastard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are love!


	20. Ringing in Your Ears

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things just keep getting worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes at the bottom this week.

Pain. Blooming and blistering as it split across her bicep and ripped up her shoulder, dancing down her spine. It blotted her vision, leaving spots of light and dark that scattered the world around Yang, leaving it out of focus as she stumbled up the steps to her home. The door was two, no three, no five feet in front of her. Three missed tries with her left hand before she managed to grab it.

Her right hand was tucked in her hoodie. Her coat hanging around her shoulders like a cloak. It was easier to wear it like this. Easier because then she didn’t have to try and take off her coat with a hand that didn’t work.

Cold. Deep, shaking cold that had her teeth chattering and her entire body trembling. The metal of her arm ached. The connections _burned._ As she opened the door Yang grimaced hard against the bright light of the hallway and the loud sounds of the living room. Movie, maybe. She couldn’t quite make out the noise.

Deep breath. Straighten up. Hang up the coat with her left hand. Done.

Just in time. Ruby and Blake both appeared from the living room, each wearing looks so similar that it took Yang a moment to figure out who was who.

Considering they were different ages, heights, and ethnicities, that probably wasn’t a good sign.

Fuck, she hoped she didn’t have a concussion.

“Yang, where have you been?” asked Ruby. The wind outside whistled hard, marking the increasing storm. “We were worried about you.”

How long had she been gone? It was getting dark. But that didn’t mean anything. After all, it got dark around four these days. But then, school let out at two-thirty.

Two-thirty. Four. An hour and a half. Had it taken her that long to get home?

God, why was everything so out of focus? Why wouldn’t her arm stop hurting?

Deep breaths. Straighten up. Don’t let them see.

“I missed the bus and had to walk home,” said Yang. The words were smooth and warm, rolling off of her tongue like water. Keep it simple. They wouldn’t know anything was wrong if she kept it simple. “Are you guys okay? Did you get home all right? Is Penny okay?” The questions fell before she could stop them. She’d left them alone. Cardin’s friends – Sky, Dove, Russel. There was some weird bird shit going on with them. – hadn’t followed Yang and Cardin. Had they come after these three?

“We’re fine,” said Ruby. “Nothing happened. Where’d you go?”

The bow in Yang’s hoodie pocket felt infinitely heavy. It dragged her forward until she was convinced she’d stumble into Ruby and Blake’s arms and they’d know she was in trouble.

“I forgot something in my locker.” Her backpack was heavy on her shoulders. “Didn’t want to leave my gloves behind.” Never mind that she wasn’t wearing them.

“If you’re sure,” said Blake, slowly. She watched Yang with pressed together lips and worried eyes. “Are you sure you’re all right?”

Keep it simple. Tell as much truth as possible. Deep breaths. Stay upright.

“It’s the cold,” she said. Truth. “It’s bugging my arm. Kind of the problem with having a half metal right arm, you know?” Also truth. “It’s nothing to worry about.” Lie. Big lie. Huge lie.

But they bought it. Both of them nodded and stepped aside as Yang mumbled some excuse about being tired and wanting to sleep.

She stumbled up the stairs and dropped onto her bed, right arm to the wall so that no one would notice she couldn’t move it out of her pocket.

And then she passed out. Unable to stay awake any longer.

She’d be fine.

Probably.

* * *

 

The stars were hidden by the clouds, but the snow had stopped by the time Qrow made his way to the roof. It had been a long time since he’d come up to a roof for a night. The ice and snow on the roof made it dangerous, but Qrow didn’t care. He needed the air. The perspective. The silence.

Besides, it was the only way he ever talked to Summer and Taiyang.

“It’s been a while,” said Qrow, softly, as he stared up at the cloudy night sky. He wondered if the clouds would dissipate before he went back inside. “A lot has happened since we moved here, and I don’t even know where to start.”

He sighed. The wind brushed around him, almost like it was asking him to go on. But that was part wishful thinking and part alcohol. He wasn’t sure where one began and one ended anymore.

“I miss you two,” said Qrow. He planted his feet on the roof and raised his knees, resting his arms across them as he stared up at the clouds. “The girls are great, and they’re just like both of you, but there’s a wildness in them that I can’t tame.” He shook his head. “Yang’s… _fuck._ ” He combed his fingers through his hair. “She’s a lot like Raven. The older she gets the more she turns into Raven and…”

He sighed again. “I don’t know what to do.” The words were whispered, soft and frustrated, almost a confession. He remembered when he’d first seen that anger in her. The way her hands quivered when she got angry, the way she snapped and snarled when she got backed into a corner.

Qrow wondered how bad it would get. It had already led to the motorcycle accident. To running off once. To pushing herself into last place ever since.

If there was a person in this world with less self-preservation than Qrow, it was Yang. And Yang didn’t even come close to Raven.

Qrow’s hands shook. He needed a drink. He needed answers.

_Fuck._

“I don’t know what to do,” he said again. He combed his fingers back through his hair and let out a bitter laugh. “I wish you two were here. You were great parents.”

Summer had been the best of the best. She’d been kind and sweet and loving. She’d pulled Qrow and Raven out of the darkest parts of their lives and shown them the beauty of the world.

Especially the stars.

Summer had always loved the stars. The way they glittered and sparkled in the night sky, always there even when you couldn’t see them. She’d known every damn star and constellation in the sky and had spent months – years – teaching him and Raven.

And when Raven and Taiyang had fallen in love with Summer, Qrow had been happy for them all. He’d loved the three of them dearly. Summer was like another sister. And Tai?

Qrow grimaced.

“I loved you, you know that, Tai?” said Qrow softly. “I never told you, but I did.” He looked up and watched some of the clouds part. A few stars glittered overhead. Aries and Perseus. He smiled. It was tight, painful, but a smile all the same.

“Summer knew.” But then, Summer had known everything. She hadn’t judged Qrow. Just held him close when it all came tumbling out and told him she was there for him. Let him cry until he ruined her favourite sweater. She hadn’t been upset. Hadn’t even faltered when Qrow had asked her if he should tell Tai.

She’d agreed with him when he wanted to.

And then…

Qrow shook his head, a flicker-flash of memory of smoke and heat and screaming toddlers.

He sighed and scrubbed his fingers back through his hair.

James. Penny. Blake.

What was he supposed to do?

“I just…” His voice cracked. His eyes blurred. “Please, I just need a _sign_ of what I’m supposed to do next. Just tell me what to do.” He looked up at the stars. The lights blurred until they bled into the night sky. “You were always better than me. You all were. You two should have raised these kids. I’ve tried and I’ve tried and I just keep _failing_ them.” His voice broke. No more words forming for a moment.

He curled forward into himself and wrapped his arms around his knees, burying his face in the fabric of his jeans.

“Just… tell me what to _do_.”

There was a long moment of silence.

His phone rang.

Qrow jumped, his cell slipping from his pocket and onto the snowy roof. He stared at its glowing screen for a long moment, eyes wide, before picking up the phone with shaking fingers. Wiped his eyes with the back of one hand as he stared.

_Unknown Number. Private Caller_.

Qrow swallowed hard.

What the hell?

He put the phone to his ear and hit Call. “Hello?”

“It’s been awhile.” The voice sent a chill down Qrow’s spine. Had his heart beating fast and his eyes growing wide. He clenched the phone hard to keep from dropping it again – or throwing it.

_Raven._

Qrow swallowed hard and tried to find his voice, his mind, _something._ “About eight years.” The frigid coolness of his voice matched the weather around him. He only wished he had the howling wind to go with it.

She’d contacted him before. Back around Yang’s ninth birthday. He had screamed himself hoarse into the phone and cried himself to sleep that night. The girls blissfully unaware.

After that, they’d moved. Changed states. Phones. Everything. Worked so hard to ensure that Raven couldn’t find them again. Couldn’t try to tear his family apart again.

The girls had never known. He’d never told them. Never saw a reason to hurt them. God, Raven was his sister, his twin, but he didn’t understand her. He’d been scared and he’d ran with his tail between his les, hoping all his problems with her would disappear.

He should have known they wouldn’t.

She’d contacted Yang, in secret, just over a year ago. Qrow could feel resentment and worry churning together in his gut. He licked his lips and found them dry and bitter.

God, he didn’t want to get sick up here.

“Give or take,” said Raven. There was a carefully measured absence in her tone. He could almost picture her checking her nails, lounged somewhere with a cigarette. That is, if she wasn’t fifty feet from his house.

She’d done that before too. Twice.

“What do you want, Raven?” snapped Qrow. He glanced over his shoulder, back toward the street and toward the darkness of the night. Was she out there? Lurking? Hiding? He didn’t know. He didn’t know if he would unless she wanted him to.

But he hadn’t understood Raven in over a decade. Not since Summer and Tai had died.

“Can’t I just call to check in?” asked Raven. There it was, that touch of annoyance masked by amusement. It was a tone they’d both learned from their uncle’s girlfriend. She’d mastered the damn thing by the time they were nine years old.

God he hated that woman.

Why the hell was Raven using her voice?

“Not your style,” said Qrow, tightly.

A soft sigh. “You’re right, it isn’t.” A shift, a rustle, like she was readjusting herself. Qrow clenched his phone tightly and stared into the night. Let his gaze dance up to look at the stars. They were beautiful as they watched him, judging his every reaction.

God, he missed Summer. She’d known Raven better than he ever could. Twins or no twins, they were far from being the same person. Even Tai hadn’t really understood her, not the way he’d understood Qrow. But Raven had always been an enigma. Summer had cracked her code in the end, but it was always a game – the password shifting with the movement of the sun.

“I wanted to ask a favour,” said Raven.

Qrow snorted, loudly. Swallowed around the lump in his throat and tried to bite back his screams and shouts. It wouldn’t do well to alert the girls to what was going on. Besides, Blake was already jumpy and the roof was slippery. Both were accidents just waiting to happen.

_Keep control._

“You don’t get favours after everything you’ve done to this family,” said Qrow. He clenched his free hand into a fist. “How the hell did you get this number?”

“I called in a couple favours,” said Raven. “Qrow, it’s not what you think. What happened with Yang…”

Qrow dropped into a snarl, his face contorting around his nose until it hurt. “What happened with Yang could have killed her! If you weren’t such a heartless _bitch_ -”

“Don’t you pin this on _me_!” The roar on the other end of the line made him flinch.

In that moment, she sounded exactly like their uncle. That was a voice Qrow wished he’d never hear again. Not after everything else.

“I tried to contact Yang, to get to know her. I was… I was _scared_ , Qrow. Scared of what would happen if I spoke to you. Scared of how you’d react. I didn’t mean for her to get hurt. Or to run out on you. I… _fuck_.” Shuffle of movement. She was combing her fingers through her hair, then. Qrow could picture the gesture like he’d seen it yesterday.

One of the few things they had in common, beyond being colossal fuck-ups.

“She almost died,” snapped Qrow. “If you hadn’t been so dead set on meeting her.”

Raven growled. “If you hadn’t kept her from me-”

“-If you hadn’t tried to take them away from me-”

“-I just wanted to be part of the family again!”

“By creating a lawsuit? Fat fucking chance, I almost lost those girls because of-”

“I didn’t think that would happen!”

“Why is everything always about you!” The words were shouted by two voices, two people, however far apart, in perfect unison. Both fell silent at their echoed words. Harsh breathing filled the phones. Neither one spoke. Qrow’s entire body was coiled tightly, trembling in his curled up position.

“I just want to be part of this _family_.” Raven’s voice cracked as she spoke.

“You had your chance,” said Qrow, “and you blew it. Now leave me and my girls the hell alone.”

“They’re not your girls!”

“Good _night_ , Raven,” said Qrow tightly. “If you call again, I will call the police.” And he hung up without another word, not even waiting for her response.

For a second, he stared down at his phone, clenched tightly in his hand. He half expected it to start ringing again. Raven never did follow anyone’s rules but her own.

With a curse, he drew back, already poised to whip the phone into the fence down below.

“Dad!” Ruby’s terrified shout stopped him short. His phone slipped from his fingers and he grabbed it just before it hit the roof. Stuffed it into his pocket and scrambled off the shingles, sliding back into his room via the window just as Ruby burst through the door.

“What’s going on?” asked Qrow.

“It’s Yang. She’s…” Ruby shook her head. “Come on.” She ran back out of the room and Qrow followed quickly after, running into Ruby and Yang’s room.

On the bed, shivering and sweating with fever, was Yang. In her unconscious state, she tossed and moaned, clutching her right arm just above where it attached to her prosthetic. Qrow reached over and rolled up the hoodie sleeve, sucking in a harsh breath at what he saw.

The metal arm was ruined, shattered and cracked through and through. The skin above it was molted and bruised. It looked like she’d broken something. Bone, most likely. Probably didn’t feel it because of the break in the metal.

It looked like she’d been in a fight.

For a split second, Qrow wasn’t in the bedroom with his girls. Instead, he was crouched in an alleyway, staring up at Raven, bruised and bloody, as she stood down a man twice their size and over twice their age. He could smell the gunpowder, the steel. Hear the screams. Hear the gunshot.

Qrow blinked and was back in the bedroom. He swallowed hard. Grounded himself.

Yang looked just like Raven, except for the hair and eyes. She even was sick like Raven. Shivering and sweating from a fight she never should have been in.

What had she done?

Had it been worth it?

“What do we do?” asked Ruby.

“Get James,” Qrow managed.

Ruby stared. “What?”

“I can’t-” Qrow’s voice cracked. He rubbed his hand over his mouth. The words, the confession, heavy on his tongue. “I can’t drive. Get James. Call him. Bang on his door. _Something._ We need to get her to the hospital, _now._ ”

Ruby nodded and was gone.

Insurance. They didn’t have insurance.

What the hell was he supposed to do though? Leave her here to die?

No. He could deal with the bills later. When Yang was safe.

_If_ Yang was going to be safe.

Qrow shut the thought off before it could fester and focused himself on the world before him. He scooped up Yang, only stumbling a little from the weight, and carried her down the stairs to the door.

“Blake!” he shouted. “Get the door!”

Blake ran into the hallway, staring. “What happened?”

“She got in a fight. Get the door. We’re going to the hospital,” said Qrow. Together, the two ran outside, where James, Ruby, and Penny were pulling up in James’ SUV.

Together, they loaded Yang into the back and Qrow held her head in his lap with his heart in his throat as they drove to the hospital. All the while, he could only keep one thought solid in his mind.

_Let her be okay. Please, god, just let her be okay._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, we've officially been introduced to Raven. I... god, what can I say about this chapter? It was one that needed to be written but that doesn't mean I'm not sorry. Qrow has been avoiding thinking about STR for months in story, and I needed to bring them forward. This? This was the logical outcome after what happened to Yang and Qrow last chapter and the chapter before.
> 
> Here's the thing: I love Raven. I adore her. She's one of my favourite characters to think about and I have a lot of feelings about who she probably is. Qrow is biased. Qrow is angry. Qrow is upset. Rightfully so, but don't think that my personal views on Raven are reflected in this chapter.
> 
> They're a pretty messed up pair, suffice to say.
> 
> As always, comments are love. Stay safe everyone.


	21. Incriminating Evidence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The hospital.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah jeez. Um.
> 
> So do y'all remember when this was a story about cute single dads, moving in, and a little bit about trauma and recovery?
> 
> Yeah, me neither.
> 
> #BlameKelly2k16

Ten steps left, pivot, ten steps right, pause, pivot, start again. Over and over, Qrow paced the waiting room floor, hands clasped behind him, then in front, then behind again. He shoved back his bangs only for them to fall in his eyes again and again. Stomach churned, bitter taste sharp in his mouth. Low growl building on his lips but never falling.

Ten steps left, turn, ten steps right. Rinse and repeat. The clock overhead ticked the seconds by. The smell of anesthetic and medicine burned in his throat and nose, blocking out all other scent. Bright fluorescent lights had him squinting at the white on white on grey. Blinking hard to keep his vision from spotting.

Ten left, ten right. Start again.

It had been three hours.

James had driven Yang to the hospital and now waited in the surgery waiting room with Qrow. Glynda had shown up an hour ago to take Penny and Ruby back to James’ to sleep. Blake had refused to leave. Frankly, Qrow didn’t blame her. She didn’t know Glynda, but she knew Qrow.

Even if he was a mess. A bruised and shaking and terrified mess who was half positive he was going to vomit on this stupid squeaking tile if he was left here much longer.

Ten left, ten right. Keep going.

“Qrow.” James’ voice, soft and reassuring. “This is one of the best hospitals in the city. If anyone can help her, it’ll be these doctors.” Qrow wondered how he knew that. Qrow wondered if they could help at all.

Mostly, he wondered how he hadn’t noticed Yang’s damage. Yang’s pain. Yang’s lack of self-preservation and what it was doing to her.

Mostly, he wondered when he’d become such a failure.

He wasn’t a father. He never would be.

A father would have noticed.

“You know.” Blake’s voice was quiet as well, but there was no gentleness to it. Just the sharpness that had followed her since the day she’d shown up next to Qrow’s car. “Your family is really fucked up.”

“Yeah,” said Qrow, he scrubbed his hands through his hair as hard as he dared. “We are.”

“Good.” Qrow stared at Blake with a furrowed brow. She was curled up tightly in the chair, arms around her knees. She wouldn’t look at him. “Means I’m not alone.”

Qrow didn’t know what to say to that.

“Mr. Branwen?” A woman’s voice. Qrow turned and spotted a nurse standing in the doorway to the waiting room. “You’re Ms. Xiao Long’s legal guardian?”

He nodded, sharp and sudden, a hard lump in his throat choking out his words.

The nurse gave him a reassuring smile. “She’s stable. We’ve… well, the doctor will explain more to you in a moment. For now, she’s resting.” The nurse stepped aside. “Would you like to see her?”

Qrow nodded and looked over his shoulder.

“Go,” said James.

Blake watched them both and shrugged. “I’ll be fine.” She didn’t sound fine. “Just make sure she’s okay.”

Qrow nodded again and followed the nurse through the doors, down a hallway, around two corners, and to a series of rooms for post-op recovery. She paused in front of one marked “0802” and gestured through the cracked open door.

“She’s in here,” said the nurse. “She’s sleeping. The doctor will be in shortly.”

With shaking hands and shaking breaths, Qrow stepped passed the nurse and stepped into the little room.

White walls, white bed, white sheets. Yang’s golden hair pale and limp where it lay around her like a curtain. Her left side was to Qrow, but he could already see what they’d done.

The prosthetic was gone, her stump was bandaged, and Qrow could see where they’d strapped her arm to her side with a sort of sling. At least it couldn’t move and get further injured, that way.

He swallowed, entire body tense and breaths coming in short, shaky inhales and shuddering exhales. His eyes prickled and blurred and he blinked hard as he settled himself in the chair on the right side of Yang’s bed.

Black eye. Swollen lip. Stiches up near her shoulder where it was uncovered.

For a moment, Qrow wasn’t in this hospital, but another, a year ago. He saw Yang, with more weight, Yang, with more marks. Yang, an inch from death and still fighting, even as the doctors shouted that they would sedate him if they had to. Remembered screaming as they dragged him from the room and told him to _go home._

Qrow blinked hard and rubbed at his eyes with the heels of his hands. Felt his palms come away wet.

She was alive. She was healing. She was stable. That was what was most important.

But even as he thought that, his mind swarmed with possibilities. He remembered what Yang had been like, when she’d first woken up. Desolate, unresponsive, guilt-ridden. Apologetic, eventually. She’d sworn to never disobey him again. Qrow remembered feeling sick when she’d said that. Had sworn to himself to lighten up to make sure those words didn’t cause Yang any changes in her lifestyle.

Maybe that had been the issue. Maybe if he’d just kept them closer. But no, it was never his style. It was never in him to do that. He couldn’t punish them or take away their freedom or hold them close. He wasn’t like James, who used his protectiveness in some desperate attempt to control the people around him. He wasn’t like Summer, who believed that if you let people go, they’d come back if they loved you.

That had backfired on her. Twice.

He didn’t like thinking about the second time. Screaming, shouting, Summer’s begging, Taiyang and Qrow snarling. Walking away.

That’d been the last time he’d ever spoken to them.

Qrow put his head in his hands and took a deep, shaky breath.

_Fuck._

“Mr. Branwen?” Qrow looked up, trying to steady himself, and saw a doctor standing in the doorway, holding a tablet. “I’m Doctor Burg, I’ll be overseeing Yang’s treatment.” His voice was soft, almost comforting, in a way. But Qrow couldn’t shake the fear that clung to him.

Qrow nodded all the same and stood, rubbing at his face to hide the tear tracks on it.

“We’ve removed the damaged prosthetic, as I’m sure you’ve noticed, and her arm has been immobilized while the bone heals,” said Doctor Burg. “There was some nerve damage from broken fragments of the prosthetic pushing up into the stump. That’s what caused the slight infection we found, and what forced Ms. Xiao Long’s body into a fevered state.” He looked to Yang and so did Qrow. God, she looked so small and pale in that bed. “Other injuries include two cracked ribs, some mild bruising in the face and torso, and minor abrasions on her right arm.”

There was a long moment in which Doctor Burg didn’t speak. Then, “Ms. Xiao Long looks like she was in a fight, Mr. Branwen. Do you know anything about that?”

Qrow felt the bottom of his stomach drop out. His legs buckled and he grabbed at the footboard of the bed to hold himself up. “You don’t…” His voice cracked. “You don’t think _I_ …” He couldn’t finish.

“I’m going to have to ask you to show me your hands and take off your shirt, Mr. Branwen,” said Doctor Burg. “Ms. Xiao Long’s prosthetic injuries were caused by blunt force trauma, typically caused by overtaxing the arm.”

Qrow stared for a long moment at Doctor Burg. Adam. Adam Taurus. Adam Taurus had bruised him. It would look like he’d been in a fight, recently. Even his knuckles were still scraped.

He looked like he’d been fighting. He looked like he was guilty. He couldn’t take of his shirt.

“I can _explain_ ,” croaked Qrow.

Doctor Burg stepped to the side and gestured out the door. “I’m going to have to ask you to step back into the waiting room.”

Qrow opened his mouth to protest and realized, a moment later, how that would look. Closing his mouth, he gave a shaky nod and followed Doctor Burg back to the waiting room, tossing one last look over his shoulder at Yang.

What had he done?

When they reached the waiting room, both Blake and James looked up. James looked hopeful, but the moment he locked eyes with Qrow, every inch of happiness drained out of his face.

“Qrow, what happened?” asked James.

Qrow shook his head and hugged himself, horror dragging every inch of heat from his body. How did he explain the last few weeks of his life? How did he explain that he wasn’t a bad father? Guardian. Uncle.

 _Fuck._ Whatever the hell it was that he was.

“I’m sorry, who are you?” asked Doctor Burg. “Do you know Mr. Branwen?”

James looked from Qrow to the doctor and stood. In that moment, Qrow saw every inch of the soft hearted man that James was vanish, leaving behind the cool calculations of a soldier. It was in his eyes, that calculation, but the rest of his body language was neutral.

Blake watched the three from her spot in the chair.

Qrow was grateful she’d covered the collar with a scarf. He wished she wasn’t wearing it at all.

“Yes, quite well, actually,” said James. The low defense in his voice made Qrow narrow his eyes. “What’s going on?”

Doctor Burg looked from man to man, his eyes lingering on Blake, who straightened up in her seat. “I have reasonable evidence to suggest that Ms. Xiao Long’s injuries are a result of physical abuse by her guardian, Mr. Branwen. As you know him, I must ask, did you ever suspect such a thing?”

“No,” said James. And there it was, the military voice. “Qrow Branwen isn’t capable of such a thing. I’ve spent more than enough time with him to know if he were raising his hand to those girls, and he’s given me no reason to believe he is.” James looked at Qrow over Doctor Burg’s shoulder. “In fact, seeing as I was with Qrow for the entirety of today, he cannot have been the one to hurt Yang.”

Qrow’s eyes went wide and he barely kept himself from twitching. His expression fell neutral just as Doctor Burg looked back at him.

“I see,” said Doctor Burg, slowly. He looked at Blake. “And who are you?”

“Blake,” said Blake. “I’m a family friend.”

“Do you live with Mr. Branwen?” asked Doctor Burg.

Blake stood. “No.” She shrugged. “I spend a lot of time at his house though.”

Doctor Burg nodded and checked his tablet. “All right.” He turned so he was half facing the three of them equally. “Mr. Branwen, I suggest you go home for the time being. You will be free to return in the morning, under supervision of course. And I will be contacting child services to inspect your property and the other girl under your care, Ms. Ruby Rose, was it?”

Qrow managed a weak nod.

“Right then, get some sleep, and you’re free to come in during visiting time tomorrow.” His gaze Qrow a hard look over his glasses. “But if I find any reason to believe that you’re responsible for anything that has happened to Ms. Xiao Long, believe me, I will be taking legal action. Am I making myself clear?”

Qrow swallowed. “Yes, Doctor Burg.”

“Good, off with you then.” Doctor Burg gestured to the door. Together, Blake, James, and Qrow headed out of the waiting room, through the hospital, and out the door.

It wasn’t until they were halfway across the parking lot, the biting late night December air digging into his cheeks, that anyone spoke.

“Why did you do that?” asked Qrow, hugging himself. “Why did you two lie for me?”

James stopped just in front of his SUV and looked Qrow in the eye. “Did you hurt Yang?”

“No!” said Qrow, his voice cracking. “I would _never_.”

“And I believe you,” said James. “Frankly, I’m not convinced Yang wouldn’t punch you through a window if you tried.”

Qrow nodded. “She would,” he said, softly. Not that he’d ever try. _Ever._ Why the hell would he hurt his girls? All he wanted to do was protect them. All he _ever_ wanted to do was raise them right. But god, he couldn’t even do that now, could he? And if it hadn’t been for his stupid fucking bar fight he could have proven that he was telling the truth.

God _damn it._

“Why not just roll up your shirt and tell them it wasn’t you Yang was fighting?” asked Blake. She leaned against the car, hugging herself. “Why not just show you don’t have bruises?”

Qrow took a deep breath, unzipped his coat, and rolled his shirt, revealing the line of bruises beneath his ribs.

“Where did you…?” started Blake.

“Adam,” said Qrow. Blake froze, eyes growing wide as she stared up at Qrow. “I met him in my bar. He started talking about you and I…” He shook his head. “I lost it, lost the fight. I got fired, but I fucked him up a bit, I think.” A shrug. “I’m no fighter.” He dropped his shirt.

“Who…?” started James, but he didn’t finish. Blake threw herself at Qrow and hugged him tightly, burrowing her face in his chest. He fought a wince at the pain, but wrapped his arms around her, holding her close but loose. His shirt was growing damp, but he ignored it.

“Thank you,” whispered Blake. “No one’s ever…” Her voice cracked, she swallowed against his shirt. “Thank you.”

Qrow met James’ gaze over Blake’s head. Realization dawned in James’ eyes as he mouthed a silent “oh”.

“We’ll need to clean up the house and find a place for you to hide when child services comes around,” said Qrow. Blake stepped back and nodded, rubbing at her eyes. She sniffled. “Ruby’s all healed up, so we don’t have to worry about that, but we need to figure out who Yang got in a fight with.”

James sighed softly and combed his fingers through his hair. “I think I have an idea about that, actually,” he said. He opened his car door and reached in, pulling out something. It took Qrow a moment to realize what it was.

Penny’s bow.

“Cardin,” said Qrow. Blake let out something close to a growl.

“I _knew_ she didn’t forget something in her desk,” she said. Her entire body seemed to bristle.

James nodded. “I think it’s time we paid Mr. Winchester a visit, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I think it is,” said Qrow, his voice as hard as it had ever been. Cardin Winchester.

Fuck, Qrow wanted that boy _dead_ for what he’d done to Qrow’s family. To Qrow’s girls. Tomorrow, he’d go after him. After he visited Yang. Tomorrow, he’d put the fear of god into that smug, bigoted asshole.

Tomorrow.

But tonight, he had scared teenage girls to deal with and a house to clean. Everything else could wait until morning.

With that, the three piled into the SUV and headed home, plans, worries, and thought spinning between the three as they debated, sleepily, what to do next.

If it was the last thing he did, Qrow was going to make sure he kept his daughters home and that _no one_ ever hurt them again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are love!


	22. Overheard Conversations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back to regular updates! Taking August off let me get my head together, so we shouldn't have to go through that again.
> 
> As a quick warning: this chapter depicts a trauma based panic attack in light detail and briefly mentions a grown man flirting with an underage girl (Adam to Blake). If you're worried about that, it's the second scene of the story, and the final scene has a decent summary of what happened, barring the details. Keep yourselves safe!

Ruby awoke sometime around dawn to the sounds of people in the kitchen. She lifted her head from where she laid with Penny, still surprised that Penny had wanted to cuddle last night, and frowned into the dark room. It took her a moment to remember why she was in Penny’s room and not her own, but then everything came back.

Yang, the hospital, Dad. Going home because she couldn’t stand not knowing, couldn’t stand reliving the same hospital events that had happened a year ago.

Slowly, Ruby peeled herself out of Penny’s grip, somehow not awakening her, and padded out of the room and down the stairs, perfectly silent. She paused at the last step and leaned against the wall, listening.

“Qrow, I’m just not sure what we’re going to do.” It was Mr. Ironwood that was speaking. There was the clink-clink of dishes brushing one another. Ruby pressed her lips together. “Cardin Winchester is old money. I can’t help but wonder if his father won’t just try to bury this. I know Rick, I know he’s a reasonable man, but this could put Cardin in jail.”

A sigh. Ruby didn’t think it belonged to Mr. Ironwood. It was a too soft, too high. Blake?

“So we don’t hit his father, we go after Cardin.” There was her dad. Ruby bit her lip. Why were they talking about Cardin? Had something happened? He’d attacked Ruby and Penny, though the physical bruises had mostly faded, but had he also gone after Yang?

If he had, Ruby wanted him to pay. She wanted him to end up in jail for what he’d done. Maybe get smeared on the news so that he couldn’t ever hurt anyone ever again.

“And what are we supposed to do?” Mr. Ironwood again. Ruby stared at the wall, pressing her lips together. “He’s a teenager, Qrow, if we touch him, we’ll go to jail.”

“I wouldn’t.” Ruby flinched at the harsh tone. _Blake._ “Let me go after him, I’ll teach him a thing or two about messing with people.” The coolness in her voice, despite its roughness, made Ruby swallow hard. She could almost see it, too. The way Blake would pin someone to the ground and snarl.

“Blake.” Mr. Ironwood.

“Not a chance.” Dad.

“Why not?” Her voice was tight. The chair scrapped back. Ruby imagined she was standing now. “He deserves it! He hurt all three of them. He should be _dead_ for what he’s done.”

Ruby slid down the wall, blinking hard against the sudden tears in her eyes. She sat down on the stairs and stared at the wall. Hugged her knees and sniffled quietly.

“Blake, we can’t do that.” Mr. Ironwood. His voice soft and sad. “We need to approach this diplomatically.”

“Like he did?”

“Blake.” Dad now. “We’re better than he is.”

“Doesn’t mean I want to be.”

A sigh from Mr. Ironwood. “We’ll talk about this later. We should go wake up the girls.”

Ruby got to her feet and tip-toed back upstairs to slide herself back into Penny’s bed. She couldn’t get back to sleep, too many thoughts spun around in her head, and she was grateful when Dad came upstairs and woke the two of them up.

* * *

 

Blake knew she shouldn’t have been here. Honestly, she knew that if Qrow or James or anyone knew she was here, they’d probably be incredibly upset with her. Not that they’d shout or anything, just look disappointed and explain in those soft voices what they were trying to do.

Blake wished they’d yell. She understood yelling.

But she also needed answers. So instead of going with Qrow to the hospital to visit Yang, she claimed a headache, snuck out of the Ironwood house, and caught the bus to the upper class area of town, where she’d tracked Cardin Winchester’s address.

Blake was grateful for the outfits that Qrow had bought her about now. Sure, she still felt weird wearing clothes a grown man had picked out for her, but they fit better and allowed her to blend in more than Yang’s clothes, which she’d been wearing before.

Without a sound, Blake leaped up from the lawn she stood on and latched onto the branch above her head. Used her momentum to swing herself up onto the branch and half crawled across it toward the second storey window she sought.

Even from this distance, Blake could see the bedroom within the window, illuminated by a singular overhead light. In the afternoon shadows, with the clouds heavy with snow, the world was cast in late evening light. It didn’t bother Blake. The darkness was more comfort than burden. A place to hide and to watch, instead of be watched.

The window was cracked and, with ears long since honed to the shift in footfalls and breathing, Blake could hear every word Cardin Winchester spoke.

“Look, they’ve got nothing on me,” said his low, nasally voice. “They lose. I win. That’s how it works.”

Blake couldn’t see anyone else in the room. He must have been talking to someone on his laptop, which she could see over his shoulder. He had his back to the window and Blake used that to her advantage, creeping closer and closer.

“So what if my dad finds out, he’s not gonna believe them,” said Cardin. He leaned back in his chair, arms folded behind his head. There was a long pause. Blake stepped off the branch and leaned against his window sill, blood pounding in her ears.

“Okay, so what if I got railed for taking out that freak before, it’s not like…” Blake didn’t catch the rest. She was too busy sliding open the window and watching Cardin, her heartbeat so loud it blocked out all other noise.

Blake stepped into the room soundlessly, the handle of the folded butterfly knife pressing into her hip. She didn’t bother to pull it. She didn’t have to. Not yet.

“Look, I gotta go. I’ll talk to you guys later,” said Cardin. There was a long pause, then Cardin sighed and leaned back, the telltale sound of a call ending ringing in Blake’s ears.

She said nothing. Waited.

“Fuck,” he muttered. “I don’t need this. Don’t need to go to juvi again.”

“Should have thought of that sooner, hm?” said Blake. She leaned back against the wall next to the window.

Cardin whipped around in his chair so fast it was a wonder he didn’t get whiplash.

“Hello, Cardin,” said Blake, a touch of amusement in her voice, but still mostly cool and calculated.

He stared at Blake, jaw dropped and eyes buggy. “Who the hell are you?”

Blake only smiled and stepped forward, letting her stance shift to something a bit more aggressive. “We need to talk.”

“Who the hell are you?” asked Cardin again. He got to his feet. Blake kept smiling. This part was easy. She knew Cardin was a coward. A sheep in wolf’s clothing, so to speak. Adam could have snapped her in two. Qrow could have snarled her into a corner if he wanted (she was fairly certain he wouldn’t). But Cardin?

Cardin was the muck on her shoe after a five mile run.

Not even worth the god damn effort.

But Yang was.

“My name is Blake. And you hurt my friends,” said Blake.

Cardin snorted. “And what are you going to do about it?” He towered over her, but even that wasn’t enough to shake Blake.

She would, later, when she got out of here. She’d shake and she’d cry and she’d probably vomit. But for now, she was rock solid. The hunger for vengeance and justice and _fear_ deep in her bones and gut as it drove her forward.

“Nothing,” said Blake. “You’re going to turn yourself in.”

“Or else what?” asked Cardin.

Blake reached for the knife, a sneer ripping her face in half. “Or else…”

“Come on, baby girl, show me what you’re made of.” Cardin loomed. Blake froze.

_Baby girl._

She reached, but her hands wouldn’t move. Couldn’t think. Her breath froze in her chest. Her body shook and froze all at once. She wanted to scream. She couldn’t make a sound.

She was frozen. She was falling. She was…

Twelve years old the first time she met Adam. He’d been twenty, then. He’d told her that her skirt was too short for a little girl. That she was beautiful.

Fourteen years old the first time he backed her into a corner and tried to put his hand up her shirt.

Fifteen.

Sixteen.

Now seventeen. Free. But not free.

She’d never be free.

Blake stumbled backward. Breathed hard and fast and shook with the force of it. Cardin came at her. But it was Adam. But it was Cardin. She shoved. Screamed. Launched herself out the window, grabbed the tree, and fell.

Hit the ground and rolled. Bolted.

_Baby girl. Baby girl. Baby girl._

Blake didn’t stop running until she collapsed. Curled herself against a wall in an alley and sobbed.

_Baby girl. Baby girl. Baby girl._

“Shut up! Shut up!” she shouted, hands over her ears. But the memories kept coming. The torrent she’d held back since she’d escaped finally coming free.

* * *

 

For the second time that day, Ruby found herself listening in on someone else’s conversation. She leaned against the stairway wall and listened to Mr. Ironwood on the phone, talking quietly with someone that Ruby couldn’t place until the end of the call.

“Thank you, Rick. I’m glad we could come to an agreement. Qrow and I will see you on Tuesday,” he said. A tap. A sigh. The sound of a phone being set down. He’d been talking to Mr. Winchester then, Ruby remembered the name ‘Rick’ from that morning. Ruby went to step into the kitchen, only to hear a hiss behind her. She looked back.

Penny was at the top of the stairs, looking rather worried.

Ruby climbed the stairs and followed Penny into her room, shutting the door behind them both as Penny sat down on the bed.

“Ruby?” asked Penny. She fiddled with her hands, staring at them in her lap. “What’s going on?”

Ruby thought of everything she’d been told today. Everything she hadn’t. She bit her lip as she tried to decide how to phrase all of this.

“From what I can tell? Something happened at the hospital that scared my dad,” said Ruby. She sat at the end of Penny’s bed and hugged her legs. “And he has to get a hold of Cardin to make sure we all stay safe.”

Penny nodded. “Okay,” she said. She twirled her fingers together over and over. Clicked her tongue in sets of three.

“Penny, everything will be okay,” said Ruby. “Yang and Blake and us and Dad and your dad. We’re gonna fix all of it. I promise.”

“I trust you,” said Penny. She stared out the window beyond Ruby’s head. “Can we go for a walk with Zwei?”

“Sure,” said Ruby, grateful for the change in topic. They both stood. “Let’s go.”

* * *

 

It was late before Ruby got back to her own house, reluctant to leave Penny behind even as Penny insisted she wanted to spend some time with her father. It wasn’t that Ruby didn’t trust Penny to be on her own, no.

It was that she didn’t trust herself to be alone. Not when the bed across from hers would be empty and cold.

Christmas was in a week and a half. But Ruby wasn’t feeling very festive.

As she stepped into the house, Ruby toed off her shoes and hung up her coat, shivering slightly. Dad had the heat turned down again, but she doubted he noticed.

Ruby passed by the kitchen and paused, noticing the light was still on. She peeked in and saw her dad sitting at the table, surrounded by envelopes and letters.

“Dad?” she asked, half a whisper.

He looked up, staring at her with red rimmed eyes. “Hey, Rubes.” His voice was rough, but his smile was warm. “Good to see you home.”

“Are you okay?” asked Ruby.

“Fine,” he said. “Just doing budgeting. Why don’t you get some sleep?”

She nodded and stepped out of the kitchen. “Okay, night. Love you.”

“Love you too,” he called as she headed up the stairs and to hers and Yang’s room.

Ruby hesitated at the door and bit her lip. Then she shook her head and stepped back, heading to the third bedroom on this floor. Three knocks on the door was her personal signature.

The door opened. Blake stared out of the room at her.

“Hey, Ruby,” she said, sighing. She stepped aside and let Ruby into the room. Ruby pretended not to notice how rough Blake looked. Pretended that everything was fine as she sat down at the far end of the bed and smiled at Blake.

“So, uh,” said Ruby, “where’d you go today?”

“Cardin’s,” said Blake, sitting down.

Ruby froze, eyes going wide. “What?” she asked, voice sharp with disbelief. “How? Why?”

“I took a bus,” said Blake.

“Blake!”

“I know,” snapped Blake. “All right? It was stupid. I know. I didn’t… do anything to him. He _deserved_ it, but I didn’t.” She scrubbed her fingers hard through her hair. The tiny silver ring of her collar glinted in the lamp light of the room.

Ruby ignored it and focused on Blake’s face. The tightness around her eyes and mouth. “Why not?”

Blake said nothing.

“Blake.”

“I panicked,” said Blake. She curled herself against the headboard of the bed, hugging her knees. “He… he called me something Adam used to. I couldn’t _deal_ , so I ran and I don’t fucking know what to do now.” Her voice cracked and went rough as she spoke. She combed her fingers back through her hair again, then reached forward to wipe the tears from her face. “I don’t fucking know, Ruby.”

Ruby tentatively reached out, but stopped herself short, resting her hand on the bed instead. “Mr. Ironwood was talking to Mr. Winchester on the phone. He’s going to talk to him on Tuesday with Dad.” She bit her lip. “I think he believes Mr. Ironwood.”

Blake nodded, slow and shaky, but she did. “That’s… good,” said Blake, quietly.

“Why did you go after Cardin?” asked Ruby. Her voice was soft, and she thought she might have known the answer, but she had to ask, all the same.

“For Yang,” said Blake. “And you and Qrow and…” She shook her head. “ _Fuck._ ” She sighed softly. “I just wanted to help, after all you’ve done for me.”

“You’ve done plenty,” said Ruby. “You’re here. You’re in one piece. You stayed at the hospital to keep an eye on my uncle and on Yang. You never judged Penny. You never judged me or Yang.”

“Judged your uncle.”

Ruby shrugged. “It made sense, given what happened.” She smiled at Blake. “You’re family, Blake. We’ll protect you. I promise.”

Blake returned her smile, though her eyes were damp. “Thank you,” she said. Then, “Can you stay here tonight? I… I don’t want to be alone.”

“Neither do I,” said Ruby, just as softly. She reached out to Blake, palm up, and, hesitantly, Blake reached out and laced their fingers together.

And they stayed like that, in perfect silence, for just a little while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are love!


	23. Out and About

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meet Mr. Winchester.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love this chapter, I really do. So I hope all of you love it as well! We've got a few more heavy chapters ahead: nothing as bad as the last little bit, but it's getting there, and then there'll be another break. Though this chapter isn't that heavy, it's just a lot of conversations. Cheers, y'all!

The weekend passed with little fanfare. Qrow visited Yang, spent time with Ruby and Blake, and struggled with the elephant in the room that surrounded himself and James. It was easier to ignore when they were around the girls. Taking care of Ruby and Penny, who worried constantly, keeping an eye on Blake, who seemed to be struggling with something she wouldn’t talk about, and visiting Yang kept Qrow busy, especially since the hospital was still keeping a security guard outside of Yang’s room when he visited.

Trying to explain that to her had been an adventure.

“Why are they watching me?” asked Yang, tightly. “What did I do?”

“Yang…” Qrow sighed and rubbed his face, not quite sure what to say. How did you explain to someone that the world was convinced you’d beat her half to death? “They’re just being cautious.”

Yang scowled, her good hand fisting the sheets. “But _why?_ ”

“I…” Qrow grimaced.

“They think he’s beating you,” said Blake, from her position in the corner, tucked into a chair. Qrow cringed. Yang stared.

“What?” The naked disbelief in her voice had Qrow slumping forward, his hands clasped between his knees. “Why?”

“We’re both bruised and I panicked when they asked,” said Qrow. He stared at the tiles. He shook his head. Swallowed hard around the lump in this throat. “I couldn’t convince ‘im otherwise.”

“So…” Yang’s voice cracked. She cleared her throat. Qrow looked up at her and tried not to let his fear show. “What’s going to happen?”

Qrow sighed. “I don’t know.” Another grimace. “CPS wants to talk to you and Ruby, which is fine, but I don’t know when they’ll want to do that.” He flexed his hands and shifted in his seat. “Jim and me are gonna talk to Winchester’s dad on Tuesday, figure out if he’ll come forward.”

“Would that help you?” asked Yang. She was sitting up fully now, eyes wide. “What if I told them everything that happened?”

“At this point, it’s just your word against his,” said Qrow. “And with the money Winchester has? I don’t think it’ll go our way. We need him to confess.”

Yang scowled. “But he’s got a record, doesn’t he? Shouldn’t that count for something?”

“You’d think,” said Qrow. He leaned back in his seat and rubbed a hand down his face. Off to the side, Blake was silent, but Qrow caught the intensity in her expression. Caught the way she stared at the floor with shadows in her eyes. “But if he turns around and says that you attacked him, we could end up buried in medical bills and lawsuits.”

Yang cringed, teeth bared as she looked away from Qrow.

“Thought as much,” said Qrow, softly. “Not like you to take a beating like that without giving it back twice as hard.”

Yang shrugged, a self-deprecating smile on her face. “Yeah, well…” She tugged at her hair, which was half tangled. Qrow had debated asking if she wanted him to brush it, but it had been a sore topic back when she’d first been in the hospital, so it was probably still a sore topic now.

Only Ruby had ever been able to brush her hair for her. But Ruby didn’t like coming to the hospital. Didn’t like the smell or the sounds or the people. Too many late nights waiting to find out if and when Yang was going to be okay.

Maybe Qrow could get her in here before Yang got out. If things with Winchester didn’t go well, he’d have to. Or else…

He shook his head.

No. They’d figure it out. He’d get it sorted.

He wouldn’t lose them.

“I’m sorry,” said Yang, softly. She was staring at the bed again, her left hand twitching and curling in the sheets. Tears prickled her eyes and her voice, and a sniffle slipped out between words. “I’m so sorry.”

Qrow was up in an instant, crossing the short space to sit on the end of the bed. One hand on her face, thumb wiping away her tears, the other lacing with her fingers. “Hey, hey, this isn’t your fault, all right? This isn’t even close to your fault.”

“If I hadn’t gone after Cardin…”

“It’s in your nature,” said Qrow. He combed her hair from her face, smiling gently at her. “I promise you, it’s not your fault, Yang.” It was his. It always was. He’d gotten into the bar fight. He hadn’t gone after Cardin sooner. He hadn’t noticed that Yang was hurting.

The doctor had said Yang had an infection in her arm before it had been injured, which was part of what had caused such extensive damage.

Qrow hadn’t noticed. He’d been too wrapped up in his own head.

No more. The girls were now his number one priority. No more distractions. No more stupid crushes. He and James were friends, nothing more, and that was fine by Qrow.

It gave him more time to focus on his girls, something he’d sorely neglected as of late.

“But what if you lose us?” whispered Yang.

“I won’t,” said Qrow, tightly. “I swear to you, Yang, I will not lose you two. I swear it.” Yang nodded, though she said nothing, and allowed Qrow to pull her into a hug.

After a few minutes, Blake climbed up beside them and put a hand on Yang’s shoulder. Together, they waited for the doctor.

* * *

 

Monday brought Christmas shopping for Ruby and Penny, who got Ms. Goodwitch to take them to the mall. It wasn’t packed yet, what with it being Monday, so Ruby and Penny were planning on spending their time in the mall.

“All right, you two, feel free to take off, but stay together,” said Ms. Goodwitch as she dug through her purse. She pulled out a couple bills and handed them to the two. “Here’s one hundred and fifty dollars each, spend it on gifts for other people.”

Ruby and Penny stared.

“Seriously?” asked Ruby. Ms. Goodwitch nodded. “Thank you so much, Ms. Goodwitch!” They waved to her and too off into the mall, giggling together.

“What should we buy?” asked Ruby as they walked through the first floor together. “We need to get presents for _everyone._ ”

There was a long pause. Then, “Knick knack store?” asked Ruby.

“Knick knack store,” agreed Penny. The two took off running through the mall, giggling and grinning the entire way.

* * *

 

Qrow stared out the window as he and James approached the Winchester house. It was in a gated community at the top of the city, with the Winchester house being one of the largest. Qrow swallowed hard as he stared. This house, this community, was so far out of his comfort zone it wasn’t funny. If James wasn’t here…

God, the Winchesters were probably bigots too, weren’t they? And with James and Qrow showing up together, there would be assumptions, and a lot of them.

The car stopped and James looked over to Qrow, his gaze searching and worried. “Shall we?”

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” muttered Qrow, but he got out of the car nonetheless.

He followed James up the pathway to the enormous house. Prickles danced across Qrow’s shoulders and down his spine, shivering until he had to wrap his arms around himself and rub at his biceps. It wasn’t enough to drag the chill from his bones, but it kept him from going numb.

He swallowed hard when James rapped on the door. Looked up at James and knew that the fear showed in his eyes.

“It’ll be all right,” said James. “He sounded agreeable on the phone.” There were lines around his eyes and mouths as he said, “I’ve… dealt with Mr. Winchester before. He’s conservative, but understanding. Even if he doesn’t,” a grimace, “ _agree_ with how I’ve raised Penny, he does agree that Cardin goes too far.” A smile. “Relax.”

Before Qrow could respond, the door opened wide, and Qrow came face to face with a man almost as tall and broad as James, albeit with more wrinkles and brown hair.

“Ironwood, a pleasure,” said Mr. Winchester, holding out his hand. “Though I must say, I wish it was on better circumstances.”

“Winchester,” said James. He gave a smile that didn’t reach his eyes and took Winchester’s hand. Qrow looked back and forth between them. A bird amongst giants. “Likewise.”

“And this would be the… father?” guessed Winchester.

Qrow nodded and grasped Winchester’s hand. “Qrow Branwen,” he said. “Yang and Ruby’s uh, yeah. Dad.” The word was foreign and clumsy on his tongue. His handshake not nearly as strong as it should have been. His hands, along with everything else, dwarfed by this man.

“Right, well, come on in.” There was a sigh in Winchester’s voice as he spoke. “Let’s see what the hell Cardin’s done this time.”

Qrow followed James and Winchester into the house – half wishing he knew Winchester’s first name, if only to put them on semi-equal standing – and grimaced when he saw how lavish it was. Rich wallpaper, expensive furnishings, some kind of rug from a country he probably couldn’t pronounce the name of. It all spoke of money. More money than Qrow had ever thought about in his entire life.

He thought about his dwindling bank account. About Christmas. About the mortgage.

Grimaced.

“So, I haven’t seen you around before, Branwen,” said Winchester as he led them into a plush living room. There was a fire already going in the rich fireplace, the windows outside only half visible from their long curtains, and the snow was thick and undisturbed on the side of the house where the glass poked through the fabric. “New?”

“Moved in August,” said Qrow. His gaze flicked from the windows to the door to the chairs. Then to Winchester and James, who were each taking a seat in separate plush leather chairs. Qrow hesitantly perched himself in the chair nearest the door, on James’ right. His fingers danced across the seat of the chair where his slim figure didn’t fill it out.

Gaze to the door, then to the men. Swallowed. Licked his lips. Let James lead.

“Fast for Cardin,” muttered Winchester. He settled back into his seat and exhaled audibly. It sounded more exasperated than surprised. Light with frustration as well. “He came home injured that day, I noticed. Your daughter did well to defend herself.”

“She’s good at that,” said Qrow. He stared at the panelling behind Winchester’s head. One of them was slightly crooked. Maybe half an inch at most.

“I don’t doubt that Cardin hurt her, what I lack is explanation,” said Winchester. He glanced to his right, which Qrow couldn’t see, and gestured. “Whiskey?”

As the word left Winchester’s mouth, Qrow’s tongue went dry.

_Yes._

“Uh-” Qrow stuttered at James’ sharp look. Slumped. “No, thanks.”

“Of course,” said Winchester. He poured himself some and took a sip from a glass that looked as expensive as the room it sat in. “I suspect this has something to do with your… child.” Winchester’s gaze found James’.

James nodded, and Qrow caught the flash of annoyance in James’ eyes. “Yes, Cardin came after Penny and her friend, Ruby, Qrow’s youngest,” he nodded to Qrow, “not long ago. Penny insisted I didn’t make a scene of it, so I didn’t.” A pause. “I’m beginning to regret that decision.”

“As am I,” said Winchester. His voice was soft as he spoke. There was a disappointed twist to his lips that had Qrow scooting toward the door. “Cardin is on probation, Mr. Ironwood. If he steps forward, he will go back to juvenile hall.”

“If he doesn’t, Qrow will lose his daughters,” said James. Winchester’s gaze found Qrow’s at those words, his eyebrows shooting up and expression going slack. Qrow dropped his gaze to the plush carpet. He tried to count the fibers.

“I… see,” said Winchester, slowly. “They think you’re beating her?”

Qrow blinked. Tried to clear his vision. The smell of whiskey had his entire body alight. He wanted, no, _needed_ a drink. His fingers gripped the chair seat tighter.

“Yeah,” said Qrow. His voice half cracked on the word.

Another sigh. “They often think the same of me, you know.” Qrow’s gaze came up at Winchester’s words. _What?_ “The police bring him home and see a man built like myself…” A sip at his drink. “They can’t think of anything else.”

“Do you?” asked Qrow.

James shot him a sharp look.

Winchester smiled, but it was a sad thing, half regret and half frustration. “I can honestly say I’ve never laid a hand on him.” He set down his glass and exhaled slowly. “Qrow, I completely believe that Cardin did this to your daughter, because I know him. But I do require you two to explain what happened so I can have some evidence to back it up.”

“I’ve worked in security for twenty years, you know that?” said Winchester. Qrow shook his head, eyes wide. “I run an entire firm.” A shrug. “People hear that? They think I had to make Cardin what he is. Some say I wasn’t hard enough on him; some say I was too hard. Others say that it’s because his mom died. Or because I was never around.” He grimaced. “I can’t say what it was, I don’t know. But I do know that no one deserves to be accused of child abuse, Qrow, and I will do everything in my power to make sure you don’t lose your daughters.”

Qrow blinked, hard. Tried to clear his blurry vision and ducked his head to hide the tears that gathered in his eyes.

_He believed them._

A hand on his knee – James’ right, gloved as always. “Thank you, Rick,” said James. Qrow nodded, unable to look up. Half tempted to lace his fingers with James but knowing that it would get looks. Though from who, Qrow wasn’t sure.

“Now, tell me what happened,” said Winchester. “Start from the beginning.”

So they did. They told Winchester about Penny and Ruby, then about Yang, all taken straight from their recollections of the events. It took time, and Qrow eventually did accept that drink, James’ disapproving look be damned, but by the time they were done, it was obvious that Winchester believed every word.

“Well,” said Winchester, leaning back in his seat. “I suppose I’ll be sending him back to juvenile hall then.”

“Really?” asked Qrow. His entire body perked before he caught himself and grimaced. “I mean…”

Winchester waved him off. “One of these days, I’m going to stumble on someone who can help get him on the right track. Until then, I’ll just do what I do best – keep him away from the good kids of this city.”

“Thank you,” said James. He stood. “May I use your bathroom?”

“Of course, you know where it is,” said Winchester. He waved James off as James disappeared out the door of the room, with only a soft click to betray his absence.

Qrow swirled the ice in his glass, debating asking for a refill. He’d already had one, and he knew much more and he’d start to go sideways. But god if it wasn’t tempting to keep that half haze on his mind, holding everything at bay.

Absently, he ran his fingers over the knee James had held before this discussion. There was no residual heat – no, Qrow had figured out that James’ prosthetics were pleasantly cool at all times – but he imagined the afterimage of James’ hand, ghosting across his.

“You know,” said Winchester, slowly. Qrow’s gaze came up. “James must truly be affecting me if I believe there’s something between you two.”

Qrow faltered, gaping like a fish. “We’re friends,” he choked out. He set down his glass and straightened in his seat, unable to stop the forward curl of his shoulders. “Just friends.”

Winchester smiled, something old and fond in his eyes. “My wife,” he started, “before she passed, whenever I was upset, she would put her hand on my knee and hold me until I felt better.” His gaze went to Qrow’s hand, which still lingered on that same knee. “Seeing him do that for you, it reminded me of her.”

Qrow shifted, not knowing what to say.

“I’m going to guess and say you think I’m some sort of bigot,” said Winchester.

“Aren’t you?” asked Qrow.

Winchester hummed. “Well, yes.” He chuckled, head ducking. “But I’m not the sort you usually think of, I assure you.”

“Penny,” said Qrow. Winchester raised an eyebrow. Qrow cleared his throat. “Penny. You uh, you don’t get it, right? But you haven’t called her anything… wrong.” Qrow hesitated on the last word, unsure, but it was true. Winchester may have never said “daughter” about Penny, but he hadn’t said anything in the other direction, either.

“I’m not about to insult a man’s methods of raising his children, under my roof or otherwise,” said Winchester. “I may not… understand how James is raising… Penny, was it?” Qrow nodded. “But I trust a man to raise his children, and I wouldn’t dream of telling him otherwise.” He glanced toward the door, a faraway look in his eyes. “Perhaps if I’d taken a similar approach as James, Cardin wouldn’t be the way he was.”

Qrow didn’t know what to say to that.

“Regardless, I am of the belief that a child is better off with two parents than with one,” said Winchester. He gave Qrow a long, hard look. “And while I’m not sure how I feel about both those parents being men, at least those children always have someone around.” He raised an eyebrow. “Although, I’m not sure how two men could raise three daughters.”

Qrow wondered, then, when Winchester’s wife had died and how much time Cardin spent on his own.

“We do our best,” said Qrow, slowly.

Winchester nodded. “I can see that.” He stood and extended a hand to Qrow, who took it as he stood as well. “Good luck to you, Qrow. Cardin and I will be in touch with the police as soon as he gets home to sort this out.”

“Thank you so much,” said Qrow. The door opened a moment later and James stepped through.

“Ready to go?” he asked. There was a soft smile on his face as he spoke, and Qrow pretended that his heart didn’t skip a beat in his chest.

“Yes, I believe we have everything sorted,” said Winchester. He offered a hand to James, who shook it quickly. “I’ll be in touch as soon as I can to have Cardin brought to justice for his crimes. Thank you for bringing this to me.”

“And thank you for believing us,” said James. “Hopefully next time we meet, it will be on better circumstances, Rick.”

Winchester smiled. “I hope so as well, James. Have a good night.”

“You too,” said James. He turned, gesturing for Qrow to follow, and led them out of the house and down the driveway toward the car. As he did, he laid a hand on the small of Qrow’s back, sending a pleasant tingle up Qrow’s spine, and Qrow pretended he wasn’t smiling as they circled the car together.

Long after James removed his hand, Qrow still felt it there, a lingering touch to comfort him through the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are love!


	24. Breaking and Entering

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Perception is key in all things. Remember that.

Blake hadn’t gone back to the hospital since the day she’d gone after Cardin Winchester. By all accounts, she should have. Yang was her friend. Yang was important to her. Blake didn’t want Yang to think she was abandoning her. But it was difficult. It was more than difficult. To go back into that hospital, to admit she’d done something she shouldn’t have, to talk to Yang and either lie and tear herself apart to do it, or to tell the truth and face Yang tearing her apart instead – Blake couldn’t do it.

So, instead, she did what she did best. She avoided everything. She avoided talking to people about that day. She avoided Ruby. She avoided Qrow. She avoided everything. It was easy, really. Qrow didn’t want to push her too far, too fast, Ruby was distracted by Penny and her sister, and James? Well, James hadn’t ever really had much to do with Blake to begin with.

It was a Thursday, two days after James and Qrow had gone to speak with Mr. Winchester, and Blake hadn’t seen Yang in almost a week. She missed her, of course she did, Yang was her friend, but she couldn’t go back.

Instead, she was hiding in a tree in James’ backyard. Ruby was at home, alone, and James and Penny had gone out grocery shopping at some point. That left the backyard a perfect place where no one would find her. Besides, if she wanted to get away, she could hop the fence the moment she heard James’ car coming.

What she hadn’t expected, however, was for someone else to be in the house. From Blake’s perch on in her tree, should could see a woman in the other bedroom of the house. One with white hair in a crisp bun and bags under her eyes visible even from here. Blake watched her with that sort of idle curiosity she watched most women with. Little caution, mostly intrigued.

Blake had been watching her for almost an hour now, not really moving or thinking of much else. The woman had gone from folding laundry on the bed to working on some writing at a desk, to reading a book in the chair. She’d disappeared from her bedroom twice – once Blake had seen her in the bathroom window, which only showed the door, the other time, Blake had seen movement downstairs – only to return within five minutes.

Whoever she was, it was obvious that she wasn’t comfortable in that house. Obvious she didn’t live there, or hadn’t for long, and that she was still trying to get her feet under her. Blake could relate. Blake wanted to meet her.

She wasn’t sure how to approach the situation. How did you explain to someone that you’d seen them in the window and you thought the two of you might get along?

It wasn’t exactly the most normal way to start a friendship.

As if sensing her thoughts, the woman walked over to the window, leaned out it, and flashed an amused look at Blake. “Are you planning on sitting in that tree all day, or did you want to come in for some tea?”

Blake’s face went hot and she gave a weak nod. “Tea, please.” She climbed down out of the tree and met the woman at the back door.

“I’m Winter,” said the woman as she let Blake into the house. “You’re the one that Mr. Branwen took in, aren’t you?”

Blake nodded. “Blake,” she said. “He’s not home.”

“I’m aware,” said Winter. “Come on, I’ll make you some tea.” She led Blake through the house – Blake caught sight of pictures of Penny and James when they were younger, a picture or two of Winter, and one of a woman that could have only been James’ mother. That, coupled with the blanket tossed over the back of the couch, the flowers on the tables, the keys in their hooks, and the backpack by the door all made Blake relax. The house looked lived in, just like Qrow’s.

Houses that looked like this usually had good people in them.

Blake’s eyes went to the tree in the corner of the living room as she passed it. It was up, but not decorated. They must have been saving that for later. It reminded Blake that Christmas was in less than a week.

She wondered if she’d be allowed to stay at Qrow’s, or if it was strictly a family affair.

Maybe she’d just hide in the guest room.

As Winter made them both tea, Blake took a seat at the kitchen table, her gaze sweeping the bright room and its little artworks. There were robins painted in the corner of one of the overhead cabinets. They looked like they might fly away at any moment.

Who had painted them? James or Penny? Neither seemed the type. But then, neither did Winter.

“Cream?” Winter’s voice drew Blake back to the present. She blinked.

“Pardon?”

“Would you like cream or sugar in your tea?” asked Winter. She gestured to the two tea cups in front of her. “We have both.”

“Both, please, just a little of each,” said Blake. Winter added both and handed the cup to Blake, who smiled slightly. Her fingers trembled a bit as she took the cup, from cold or nerves, Blake wasn’t sure. Both were a safe bet, these days.

“So, you’re Blake,” said Winter. “I’ve heard a lot about you from Ruby and Penny.” She gave Blake a soft smile as she sat down across her from. “I’m glad to have finally met you.”

Blake nodded, unsure of what to say. “Thanks,” she decided on. “It’s uh, nice to meet you too.”

“You know,” said Winter, “from what I’ve heard, you’ve done quite a lot in keeping Ruby and Penny safe and sane. I’m grateful for it. With everything going on, I was worried they might fall to the wayside.”

“They’re at the centre of this,” said Blake.

“True,” said Winter. She stirred her tea, eyes sliding backward in time even as Blake watched her. “But, so often, those that are at the centre of violence oft end up shucked aside in favour of arguing for or against the attacker.” She gave a sad smile. “The victims are oft forgotten and left to fend for themselves.”

Maybe it was the way she said it. Or maybe it was the way Winter’s gaze got that same faraway look Blake’s did when she fell back in time. So far down that it was nigh impossible to bring someone back. Or maybe it was the way she emphasized her words, despite their softness.

No matter way it was, Blake felt her heart clench and her breath catch as Winter spoke, and her entire world zeroed in on that slight twitch of her lips, changing a sad smile to a terrified, remorseful grimace.

Blake reached out and laid her hand across Winter’s.

“We won’t let them get pushed aside,” said Blake with as much strength as she could muster.

“No,” said Winter, laying her other hand over Blake’s. Her eyes, still so far away, lifted to meet Blake’s. “We won’t.”

* * *

 

Ruby had been halfway through making a cup of hot chocolate when she heard the noise. It was a soft ‘thump’ and then a slide. The sound only an opening window could make. She looked down at Zwei, who lifted his head and whimpered quietly, then reached over to the cutting block and pulled the biggest knife she felt comfortable handling.

She and Zwei tip-toed toward the source of the sound, Ruby with her spare hand on her pocket, where 911 was already prepped for dialing. She didn’t want to call until she knew it wasn’t Blake. Sometimes she got weird and came in through the second storey windows. It could have just been her.

Still, it didn’t shake Ruby’s fear as she peered around the corner.

It wasn’t Blake.

The woman standing, frozen and with wide eyes as she spotted Ruby, looked nothing like Blake. But she looked _a lot_ like Yang, and a lot like the singular picture Ruby had found of her family before she’d been born.

This woman could only be one person – Raven Branwen. The woman who had tried to ruin their lives time and time again, and the reason that Yang only had one arm.

Ruby growled quietly, Zwei quickly joining, and her expression dropped from fear to anger as she straightened up.

“What are you doing in my house?” asked Ruby, biting out each word with barred teeth.

“Is that knife really necessary?” asked Raven.

Ruby shifted position, hand moving away from her phone to grip the knife with both. She clicked the home button on her phone twice before she removed her hand, activating an old shortcut for her voice recordings. The familiar buzz against her hip told her that her phone was recording.

“Yes, it is,” said Ruby.

Raven sighed and stepped sideways, her gaze switching from the growling Zwei to Ruby with her knife. “So, you do remember me.” It wasn’t a question.

“I remember you tried to ruin our lives,” said Ruby. Her voice grew louder with each sentence. “I remember that Dad nearly lost us because of you, that you never stopped trying to take us away, and that even though you claim to be part of this family, you’ve never wanted _anything_ to do with Yang.” Her voice dropped into a growl at the end.

Raven bared her teeth. “Qrow is _not_ your father.”

“And you’re not my mother,” said Ruby. “You never have been and you never will be.” She threw her left arm wide. “You were never here. You never wanted anything to do with us. You tried to rip us apart when we were babies just because you had some stupid biological claim to my sister!” Her voice rose to a shrill yell at the end. “Uncle Qrow raised us, loved us, protected us, and did everything he could for us no matter what was going on in his head. _That’s_ why he’s my dad.”

“If I wanted to, I could take you both away from him in an instant,” said Raven, her expression dark.

Ruby grinned, all teeth. “Then why don’t you try? I’d love to see you fail now that I’m old enough to remember it properly.”

Raven faltered visibly and took a step back. “I didn’t come here to be insulted by a child.”

Ruby growled. Fear crept under her skin, hot and horrible. Even if Raven was retreating, she was still bigger and stronger than Ruby. She could take Ruby to the ground in an instant. The knife wouldn’t help her then. Not if she couldn’t use it properly. “You broke into my house when you thought no one was home. I don’t owe you anything except maybe a call to the police.”

Raven growled and clenched her fists at her sides. For a moment, Ruby feared that she might launch herself at Ruby, and that she’d have to use the knife after all. She didn’t want Dad to come home to a bunch of police officers and blood on the floor. She didn’t know if it’d be hers or Ravens.

Would she go to jail? Or juvenile hall? Or maybe just a group home. Then Dad really would lose her and Yang. All because of her.

“This wasn’t how it was supposed to go,” said Raven, tightly. “This wasn’t _remotely_ what I wanted.” She tugged her fingers back through her hair. It was a gesture Ruby had seen a thousand times on Dad. A gesture he only ever had when he was losing control and needed something to ground him. Seeing it on her, it was hard to remember that Raven was more villain that family. That she was only Dad’s twin in name.

“Then what did you want?” asked Ruby. She let her arm with the knife drop. “Tell me, so maybe I don’t call the police and have to stab you to keep you here.”

Raven’s lips twitched, the gesture so Yang-like that Ruby momentarily lost her breath. God, how many similarities were there, just beyond Ruby’s understanding? “You’re just like her, you know that? So small but so brutal. So willing to fight to keep the one’s you love safe.” Raven shook her head. “Does that mean she’s like me?”

“I don’t know,” said Ruby.

Raven leaned back against the wall and sighed. “I came here seeking answers, child.” Raven exhaled slowly, the gesture making her shoulders droop. “I never wanted this. I never wanted to leave, all those years ago.”

“That’s a lie and you know it,” said Ruby. Her grip on the knife tightened.

Raven grimaced, eyes flashing at being caught in her lie. “You’re completely right,” she murmured. She looked to the ground, to Zwei, then back at Ruby. Her eyes were the same colour as Dad’s. But hers seemed colder than his own warm red eyes. The only emotion they shared was guilt. Dad’s eyes had been full of it lately, just as Raven’s were as she stood across from Ruby right now.

Raven continued, “I did want to leave, back then. Everything was too difficult and too overwhelming…” She trailed off and sighed. “I wanted to run, to leave, to disappear into the night and never look back.” She shrugged, arms folding across her chest. It was a defensive gesture if Ruby had ever seen one. “But…”

“But?” echoed Ruby.

“I couldn’t stay away.” Raven shook her head, frowning tightly. There was something in her eyes that Ruby couldn’t place. Regret, maybe. Ruby couldn’t be sure. “I never wanted a family, not the way Summer and Taiyang did, but no matter how far I ran, no matter how much I wanted to leave, she clung to me.” Ruby didn’t have to ask who ‘she’ was. “And I had to know, over and over, I had to know how she was doing.” Her gaze flicked to Ruby. “And yet, it’s you I run in to.” There was something absent in her voice then that made Ruby take a step back.

She steeled herself, took a breath that she hoped Raven didn’t notice. “Then why do it? Why have Yang?” asked Ruby.

“I don’t know,” said Raven. The words were soft, a little frustrated. The tone so like Dad that Ruby found herself gritting her teeth to keep herself from reaching out to touch Raven, to comfort her just as she did with her dad whenever he got upset. “There’s a lot of things I don’t understand Ruby, even about myself.”

“So, why are you here?” asked Ruby. Her hand flexed on the knife, but her fingers hurt. Her brain hurt. Everything hurt. “Why break in? Why come looking for us again?”

Another shake of her head. “I wanted to…” She trailed off and brushed her long hair out of her face. “I wanted to figure out who I was.”

“Through Yang?”

“Through Qrow,” said Raven. “He’s my twin. I’ve always defined myself by him.”

“That doesn’t seem healthy,” said Ruby.

Raven shrugged. “Never claimed it was.” She looked at Ruby. “I called him first, you know. To ask. To see if he’d be willing to take me back.”

Ruby didn’t have to ask to know what her dad’s response had been. Arguing, shouting, screaming, most likely. Everything he’d done that night she and he and had forcibly removed from the hospital. Ruby’s lower lip trembled. She pressed both hard together to hide it. She wondered if Raven knew Yang was in the hospital.

Maybe. Probably.

Who knew.

“But he’s not here, and neither is she,” said Raven. She sighed, body slumping against the window frame. “And here I am, being faced down by a child with a corgi and a kitchen knife she can’t even hold correctly.” Raven’s gaze flicked from Ruby to Zwei again. There was a question there, lingering in her eyes, that had Ruby’s mind screaming at her to run. What if Raven hurt her? Could she? Would she? Ruby had no biological claim to Raven or her dad.

But then, biology hadn’t done Dad or Yang any good, in the end.

Her heart beat hard and loud in her eyes, sending a throbbing through her skull.

“What do you want me to do?” asked Raven. The words startled Ruby. What? Why did Raven care what she did? Why did Raven care about anything related to Ruby? “Come on now, You’re the only one here. What do you want from me?”

Ruby took a breath, ignoring the shaking in it. “I want you to leave,” said Ruby, voice tight. “Preferably never come back. Yang and I are fine without you, and whenever you show up, Dad gets worse.”

“She’s in the hospital right now, isn’t she?” asked Raven. That answered that question, at least. She knew. Maybe that was what had finally driven her to break in. Ruby wondered how long Raven had been in town. How much her dad knew. “What happened?”

“You’re not her mother, it’s not your business,” said Ruby, grinding her teeth together.

Raven scowled and stepped forward. Ruby raised the knife again.

“Fine,” Raven bit out. She stepped backward again. Looked to the window. “Her birthday, it’s July 2nd, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” said Ruby.

Raven frowned. “I don’t know yours.”

“That’s because you’re not my family,” said Ruby, voice tight and quivering. “You don’t need to know.”

“And he is?” asked Raven. “Neither of us is blood to you. What’s the difference?”

Ruby bared her teeth again. “Intent,” she said. “Don’t send Yang anything on her birthday, and don’t come here again. Next time, I will call the police.” She flexed her hand on her knife again. “And next time, I won’t be so nice about this, either.”

“You know,” said Raven. “I was wrong. You may be Summer’s daughter, but you’re not Summer. You’re far too vicious.”

Ruby smiled, though it felt closer to a smirk. It hid a thousand screams behind her face, all warning her that Raven could hurt her, that Raven was dangerous. It hid the screaming and the fear and the pain and the want to run and hide and never look back.

Smirks were meant to hide. It was part of why Ruby hated them so much.

“Only to the people I don’t like, and only to the people that hurt my family,” she said. “Now, get out of my house.”

Raven growled, low and frustrated, but she climbed back out the window and disappeared over the fence. Once she was gone, Ruby closed and locked the window, then, with the knife in hand, she went around and closed, locked, and double-checked every single window and door in the house.

That done, she headed back into the kitchen. She set the knife on the counter, put her back to the cabinets, and slid to the floor. With her knees drawn up and her face pressed into them, Ruby began to sob.

The water for her hot chocolate had long since gone cold in its mug.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are love!


	25. Bills and a Saving Grace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes good things do happen to Qrow.
> 
> You know.
> 
> Sometimes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're about to shift gears into the third act (which is the shortest act), but we've got this chapter and chapter 26 to go. Hope y'all enjoy it!

Christmas shopping was always an adventure, and with everything else going on, Qrow had barely managed to remember to go shopping in the week before Christmas. Now, less than a week until the holiday, he’d finally managed to get out to the mall to buy some things for Ruby and Yang, as well as a couple things for Blake. He couldn’t leave her out, even if money was tight.

Of course, that also meant he should probably pick up a few things for James and Penny too, which was just an entire adventure unto itself.

So, he recruited Bart for help and headed out to the mall that morning while Ruby hung out with Penny and Blake visited Yang in the hospital. Which reminded Qrow of something else he had to deal with, sooner or later.

“Qrow?” Bart’s voice was soft next to his head as they walked through the mall. “What’s on your mind?”

“A lot,” said Qrow, shifting the two bags he held in one hand. Bart had a smaller bag in one hand, apparently a present for Peter. “Yang’s getting out of the hospital tonight. I wanted to be there right now, but she told me to get some fresh air before I went crazy.”

Bart shook his head. “I swear those girls try and raise you as much as you them.”

“They do,” said Qrow, quietly. He sighed. “I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or not most days.”

Bart nudged his shoulder and smiled at him. His glasses slid down his nose as he spoke. “Someone needs to take care of you.”

“It shouldn’t be my kids,” said Qrow, voice tight. He spotted a store up ahead with a lot of tiny figures in it, reminding him of Ruby’s recent love of some series of books about owls. He couldn’t remember what it was called, Watchers, maybe, but it was what she’d been reading for almost a month now.

“Qrow.” Bart’s voice followed him into the store as Qrow studied a handful of owl figurines. “If you need help with anything…”

Bills, thought Qrow, and maybe his own head. But it was mostly bills. Christmas was already a huge blow to his savings, and with the mortgage and everything else, he’d be broke halfway through January. And that wasn’t including Yang’s hospital bills, or the prospect of getting her a new arm, nor anything else going on with Ruby or Blake.

What if one of them got sick? What would he do about Blake?

God, it was all just a mess.

He rolled one of the figures over in his hand and frowned, unsure of what else to do. How could be possibly make all this work? This was never supposed to happen. He was supposed to keep the girls safe and fed and everything a parent was supposed to do. But he wasn’t a parent, and he never had been, and maybe that was the entire reason why he couldn’t do this.

It didn’t matter what Ruby called him. He wasn’t a father.

He wasn’t good enough to be a father.

Qrow bit the inside of his cheek and cut his pity party.

Later, he thought, when he was alone. For now, he had to keep it together until he could get his family taken care of.

Qrow and Bart worked their way through the mall systematically, picking up presents for friends and family. Qrow winced at every bill, but he kept going. He had to keep up the illusion for the girls. They didn’t need to know how bad it had gotten.

It was sometime in the early afternoon, and closer than Qrow wanted to when Yang was being released, when they finally finished. Bart and Qrow were halfway to the doors of the mall when Qrow heard a voice he almost didn’t recognize shout his name.

He half-turned, brow furrowed, and sure enough, there was Roman. A teenage girl trailed behind him, her eyes as mismatched as Bart’s and her hair at least partially dyed to match.

“Hey, Qrow,” said Roman, stopping a few feet from him. He dug into his back pocket. “Listen, I feel really bad about losing you your job.”

Qrow grimaced. “It wasn’t your fault,” he said. And it wasn’t. Roman was just being himself. Qrow could appreciate that in a guy.

“Nah, it was,” said Roman. He pulled out a business card and held it out to Qrow. Qrow raised an eyebrow and took it, hesitantly. “But, I am nothing if not gracious, and I think I know how to make it up to you.” He gestured to the business card. “That, my friend, is Junior’s Place, it’s a sweet little place downtown, super open.” Roman stuffed his hands in his pockets and rocked on his heels. “I told ‘im what happened and he wants to interview you. Pretty sure it’s in the bag.” There was a grin in his voice on the last line, and Qrow didn’t know what to make of the twinkle in Roman’s eye.

He looked down at the business card, which read _Junior’s Place_ in looping golden letters. Underneath were a few details – Facebook page, contact number, and the name “Hei ‘Junior’ Xiong”. There was also a tiny rainbow in the corner, which Qrow figured meant it was either a gay club or was an open-minded one with a gay night.

“It’s a gay club,” said Roman. That answered that question, at least. “And I don’t think you ever applied there, because Junior would know.” He shrugged. “Might as well give it a try. You know?”

Qrow flicked the card over and tucked it into his back pocket. “Thanks.” He lingered for a moment, trying to sort out his thoughts. “Listen, Roman, if you ever want to hang out…”

“I have your number?” finished Roman, mouth crooked but eyes soft. “Thanks, Qrow. Really.” He looked over his shoulder, where the teenage girl was waiting with one eyebrow raised. “You ready to go sugar cube?”

She nodded and lifted one had to wave. Qrow waved back, head tilted slightly, and watched them go.

“Looks like things are starting to go your way,” said Bart.

Qrow nodded, the business card impossibly heavy in his pocket. “Yeah,” he said, “looks like.” Then he turned back toward the entrance to the mall. “Come on, I’ve gotta pick up Yang.”

* * *

 

The hospital seemed hesitant to let Yang go, despite the words of Winchester and Cardin, who were there earlier that day. Qrow had spotted Rick leaving with Cardin when he and Ruby stepped into the hospital. The two had nodded to one another, Rick’s lips twitching into a half smile as they went.

The police nodded, but the gestured for Qrow to come close.

“While all charges have been dropped, we are required to do a safety check,” said the officer. “It’ll be in a few months. We have your number.”

“Safety check?” echoed Qrow.

The officer said, “CPS does it for all kids we believed to be victims of familial abuse. Even if you’re cleared, it’s protocol. We’ll call you two weeks in advance.”

Qrow nodded sharply, his chest tight. “So, uh,” he cleared his throat, “can I go get her?”

The officer nodded. “Yes. Go ahead.” Qrow looked to the nurses, who nodded in agreement, and then it was time to go pick up Yang and Blake.

Qrow guided Ruby up to Yang’s room, keeping a close eye on how she looked around with wide, trembling eyes. Her entire body was tense, her shoulders up near her ears and her hands clenched at her sides.

Qrow laid a hand on her shoulder and gave her a smile. “She’s fine,” he said. “I promise.”

Ruby sighed and gave a small nod. “I just wish…” She shook her head. “Never mind, it’s nothing.”

Qrow didn’t respond, just tightened his grip on her shoulder and hoped for the best. There was no way of knowing how Yang would be once they got her out of the hospital. Or how she’d be with only one arm again. All Qrow could hope for was that she’d be open to being helped, and that maybe she’d also be open to talking about things that bothered her.

But if she was anything like his sister…

“We’re here,” said Qrow, tapping on the door with his free hand. He swung it open slowly, careful to watch for people behind the door. Yang and Blake were both perched on the bed, Yang’s bag between them. Yang’s hair was brushed out and pulled back in a high ponytail. He narrowed his eyes, frowning. How had she done that with one hand?

“Ready to go?” asked Qrow.

Yang and Blake both nodded. Blake stood first, shouldering Yang’s bag, and Yang stood second, leaning on the bed with her left hand. Her right stump was still bandaged beneath the plaid shirt that she wore, the sleeve tied at the end.

It had to be a nurse that did that, thought Qrow. There wasn’t a chance Yang could tie a knot that well on her own.

“So, is everything… good?” The hesitation in Yang’s voice made Qrow cringe inwardly. “They’re not gonna like, tackle you to the ground or something if I leave with you?” The joke was there, but it fell flat against the genuine fear that cut across her form – pursed lips, wide eyes, drooped shoulders, and tense figure.

“No,” said Qrow. He reached forward and rested a hand on Yang’s shoulder. “Nothing like that. We’re cleared. Cardin’s dad talked to the cops.”

Yang nodded, gaze at the floor. “So, what’s gonna happen, exactly?”

“Cardin’s going back to juvi, no one’s pressing charges on you, and we’re free to go,” said Qrow. He left out the bit where CPS would be checking in on them in the next couple months. She didn’t need to stress out about that right now. He spread his hands and flashed Yang as easy going a smile as he could manage. “Good?”

Yang nodded, her shoulders relaxing. “Awesome,” she said. “Let’s go.” She pushed off the bed and started forward, wobbling a bit. No one offered to grab her, just waited until she was upright before following her out of the room.

They headed to the reception to sign Yang out, Qrow nodding to the police as he did. They nodded back, the nurses squared away the paperwork, and then it was time to go.

As they piled into the car and headed home, Yang took the backseat with Blake, while Ruby sat up front with Qrow. Ruby turned on the music after half a block, and Qrow appreciated the noise. It distracted from the awkward silence that hung between the four, and the way Ruby kept using her side mirror to check on Yang.

Qrow checked with the rear view mirror and saw Yang’s left hand inch toward Blake’s until their pinkie fingers rested together. He hid his smile, miniscule as it was, and kept his eyes on the road. Something had happened in that hospital room, something he hadn’t seen, and maybe it wasn’t anything significant yet. Maybe it was more of a question than a statement, a ‘what if’ and not a ‘we should’, but it was a start.

Maybe he’d ask her about it, later, when everything else had been sorted and Yang’s eyes were a little less clouded from fear and exhaustion.

As they pulled up to the house, Qrow spotted movement from down the street. It was James and Penny, with Penny holding a cloth bag and James carrying Tupperware. Qrow killed the engine and felt his heart warm. James had been… well, absolutely wonderful these last few weeks, even with everything else that had happened, and now, with Christmas only days away, a question lingered in his mind. One he didn’t dare ask out loud.

“Hi, Penny!” said Ruby, leaping out of the car. She beamed at Penny who beamed right back. “What did you bring?”

“I brought cookies, the DVD set for ‘Kung Fu Warrior Legends’, and a stuffed dragon,” said Penny, holding up the bag with both hands. “Father brought dinner.” She looked at Yang, who stumbled a bit as she climbed out of the car. “They are get well presents.”

Yang nodded, tugging at her hair with her left hand. “Thanks, Penny. That’s great.” She glanced at the bag, then at her right shoulder, and grimaced. “You, uh, wanna bring it in?”

“Of course!” said Penny. “I am happy to be of assistance.” She followed Yang up to the house, practically skipping in the half a foot of snow. Qrow dug into his pockets and tossed Ruby the keys before turning to James.

“Thanks for all this,” said Qrow, quietly. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and forced himself to meet James’ gaze. “It helps.”

James nodded, shifting the Tupperware to one arm. “It’s no problem. If there’s anything else I can do…” He trailed off, gaze darting up to the front door as it swung shut. Qrow knew that look, it was one that he’d seen a handful of times before. James was thinking, the gears in his head spinning as he tried to find answers to questions no one else could solve.

Qrow figured he had a similar process going on. James had designed the last arm that Yang had used. Could he design another? Could he find a way? Qrow knew that 3D printed prosthetics were a lot less expensive than the newer sensory models, but he didn’t know if Yang would want to downgrade. Or if she’d want to get a new arm at all.

It was a conversation to be had sooner or later, but Qrow had a feeling that Yang would want to put it off as long as possible.

“No, this is… this is great. Thank you,” said Qrow. He pulled one hand from his pocket to rub the back of his neck. “Listen, uh, if you wanted to stick around for dinner...” A shrug. “You know.”

“That sounds fine,” said James. If his own body language was awkward, well, James couldn’t blame him.

The front door swung open hard enough to bang into the house. Qrow and James both jumped.

“Dad!” called Ruby. Qrow turned and raised an eyebrow at her, trying to get his pounding heart under control.

“What?” called Qrow back.

“Can Penny be here for Christmas?” asked Ruby.

Qrow faltered. “I…” He cleared his throat. Swallowed hard. “She should be home with her father and…” He scrambled to remember her name. “Winter?” He looked over his shoulder and raised an eyebrow at James, who nodded. “She can’t be here with us and not be at home with them.”

“Well then they should all come over,” said Ruby, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. “We could all open presents and make dinner together.”

Qrow scrambled to find an excuse that wouldn’t take over James. He looked back at James, hoping his confusion was in his eyes. James only smiled in response.

“As long as Qrow is fine with it, Ruby, I think that sounds wonderful,” said James. He turned his impossibly blue gaze on Qrow, warmth coating his entire expression.

Qrow swallowed hard and nodded, turning back to Ruby. He struggled to get the image of those eyes out of his head, but he knew it was hopeless. “Sure,” said Qrow. He forced a smile he knew didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Sounds great.”

Ruby cheered and ran back inside to tell Penny and, just like that, James and his family were coming over for Christmas.

This couldn’t possibly end badly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are love!


	26. Merry Christmas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _I'm dreaming of a white Christmas._   
>  _Just like the ones I used to know..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is almost twice as long as my usual chapters.
> 
> I'm not sorry.

Christmas morning was always a treat in the Branwen-Xiao Long-Rose household. From the time Ruby and Yang had been little, it had been their favourite holiday, and this year was no different.

The last year and a half had been difficult. Yang had been in an accident, they’d moved cross country, and now they were struggling with other things in this new home. CPS still wanted to visit, Blake still had her demons, and Qrow’s relationship with James was undefined at best and a complete mess at worst. Or the hopeful ‘at worst’ anyway.

Combine that with his need for a strong drink, his fear he wouldn’t get the job at Junior’s, and the bills piling up, and Qrow had been worried he’d hate this Christmas, especially with James, Winter, and Penny having been invited over for the day. However, when Qrow woke up that morning, it wasn’t trepidation or a hangover that clawed at his gut. No, it was wonder and contentment and, maybe, a little bit of excitement. His girls were safe, he had a third one in his house, and today was still the best day of the year.

Qrow was just peeling himself out of bed when he heard the tell tale thump, shuffle, and then skittering of nails on the hardwood floor. A moment later, his door flung open and Ruby burst into the room with Zwei at her heels.

“Dad!” she shouted, throwing her hands into the air. “It’s Christmas! Merry Christmas!”

Qrow chuckled and combed his hair back from his face, a smile spreading on his own face. “Merry Christmas, Ruby.” He crossed the room and ruffled her hair, grinning when she stuck her tongue out at him. “Others up?” He passed her and ducked out the door, nodding his head to get her to follow.

“Yang is. I think she’s waking up Blake,” said Ruby. Qrow raised an eyebrow, wondering just what that entailed. After the touch he’d seen in the car, he’d wondered what was going on between them. Adam’s words -- and god, _fuck_ that guy for having such a normal name -- rung in Qrow’s head as he headed into the hallway. The comment about Roman, about him, about _Blake._

He worried what would happen if the girls got too close. Would Blake panic, just like James had? Qrow swallowed hard and shook it off. Yang could handle herself, and, if anything happened, he’d be here to catch her if she fell. He only hoped he wouldn’t have to.

Yang and Blake came out of Blake’s room a moment later, both wearing pyjamas. Blake, for once, was wearing her own pyjamas, which consisted of a pair of purple sleep pants and a long black and white shirt that tied shut. Qrow had thought it suited her. Based on Yang’s look, so did she.

“Presents!” said Ruby, bounding toward the stairs.

“We have to wait for James!” called Qrow as Ruby went sliding down the stairs. He winced at the thump of her hitting the ground, but when he looked down the stairs, she took off toward the living room, whooping all the way. He sighed. Well, at least she was okay. God, if he didn’t want to bottle whatever made her so exuberant some days though. He’d be a millionaire.

“She’s certainly lively,” said Blake, drily. She headed down the stairs, shaking her head. From behind, Qrow could just barely see the top of the collar she wore. He pressed his lips together. No matter how much progress Blake was making, she still refused to take it off. Now that Qrow knew where it came from -- how Adam used it as a way to mark her, to _claim_ her -- it made him as sick as it made him as furious.

“I hate it too,” whispered Yang, before she passed Qrow and headed down the stairs.

That left Qrow and Zwei. Zwei cocked his head at Qrow as Qrow looked down at him. Qrow sighed and gestured toward the stairs. “Well, we might as well head down too,” he said. Zwei gave a happy bark and bounded down the stairs, his nails clicking on the smooth wood. Qrow shook his head and followed all of them down, wondering when he’d gotten so slow.

Maybe Yang was right. Maybe he _was_ getting old. Perish the thought.

Downstairs, Qrow watched Ruby set up cushions, pillows, and blankets on the floor and couches. She hummed Christmas carols as she did it, with Yang and Blake helping out where they could. Blake looked a little awkward, fidgeting as she set things up with the two. Her brow was furrowed, her lips pressed into a thin line as she watched. She shuffled back a step when Yang and Ruby flopped onto the pillows, her gaze swinging toward Qrow.

“You wanna take a seat?” asked Qrow.

“Are you sure?” asked Blake. Her voice was so low that it took Qrow a second to realize Yang and Ruby hadn’t heard her. He offered her a smile as paternal as he could manage and gestured to the cushions.

“Yeah, come on, Christmas is all about family,” said Qrow. He stepped toward the kitchen, wanting to check on a few things before James got there. “Grab a seat, you’re family too.” Something flashed in Blake’s eyes, soft and confused all at once, but she nodded and took her place on the floor.

Qrow checked the fridge. His apples were in the fridge, ready to be turned into pies. His pie crust had already been made and he’d left it in the fridge overnight to thaw. The pie was always a hit, and Qrow was glad James was handling the dinner. He’d never mastered the art of cooking poultry. Something about him and birds just didn’t get along. Odd, but not impossible to manoeuvre.

As he closed the fridge, there was a knock at the door. Qrow brushed invisible dirt from his pants and headed for the door. On the other side was Penny, James, and Winter, who Qrow had only briefly spoken to before today. Winter and Penny were loaded down with presents while James was loaded down with food.

“Lemme help,” said Qrow, stepping in to take one of the bags from James. “Girls are in the living room, presents can go there too.”

He and James headed into the kitchen, whereupon Qrow put the bag down on the counter and James followed suit.

“Thanks,” said James. He glanced toward the living room but made no move to head toward it. Qrow waited, watching James watch the girls through the doors. After a moment, James turned his attention back to Qrow, his lips pressed tightly together. “This isn’t going to be awkward, is it?” asked James. “Considering…”

Considering the last time they’d be in a kitchen? Considering what Qrow had done, trapped between tiles and late night shadows? Or considering how close they’d been, the last week and a half, after everything had happened with Yang?

Or maybe it was something else entirely. Maybe it was the way Qrow’s breath caught when he got too close to James. Or maybe it was the way James was always touching him.

Or maybe…

But it didn’t matter.

“No,” said Qrow. He looked up at James, his voice and gaze soft. “Not at all.” He stepped passed James, put his back to the living room, and flashed him a smile. “Let’s go open some presents, shall we?”

James nodded and the two headed into the living room, side by side as the girls all looked up when they entered.

“Qrow, this is Winter, I believe you’ve met,” said James, gesturing to Winter. Winter held out her hand and Qrow took it, squeezing briefly.

“Sort of,” said Qrow. If only by proxy. They’d crossed each other half a dozen times in the last two weeks, but they’d never actually spoken. Judging by the way she was looking at him, with narrowed eyes and pursed lips, Qrow thought that was probably for the best.

Seems she didn’t like him. Qrow had no idea what he’d done to deserve a glare like that.

“Charmed,” murmured Winter, her gaze flicking across him. At the disappointed twist to her lips, Qrow withdrew his hand, frowning. Damn, if she didn’t make him feel about two feet tall. But he wasn’t getting into any fights today. Christmas was too important to his family.

“Winter,” said James, voice low enough that it didn’t carry past the three of them. “Be nice.”

She gave a sharp nod and retook her place on the couch without another word, but her eyes were still as icy as her name. Qrow looked at James, eyebrows raised, and James offered him an apologetic smile. The two took their seats on the couch, side by side, and looked to Ruby.

“All right, kid,” said Qrow, gesturing to the presents, “You’re up.”

Ruby gave a sharp nod and pulled out a notebook that had been sitting next to her. “All right, so, I have done an inventory of the presents and have determined the most optimal order of distributing them. Yang will go first, then me, then Penny, then Blake, then Winter, then Dad, then Mr. Ironwood.” She stabbed her pen into the air. “Seeing as Yang, Penny, Blake, and I have the most presents, we will be changing the number we open each round, but the order will remain the same.” She held up her notebook. “With my numbers, we will all finish at the same time and no one will be left out!”

She beamed at the room. Blake and James both looked a little surprised, Winter had a vague look of amusement on her face, and Penny and Yang looked proud. Qrow just chuckled.

“All right, kid, get to it.”

Ruby started passing out presents, leaving most of them under the tree as she did.

One by one they opened their presents. Ruby and Penny had gotten everyone gag gifts – a tiny glass crow wearing a bow tie for Qrow, a bobble head of a car for James (Qrow still didn’t know how that worked), a series of bows with swear words on them for Blake, a pair of snowflake earrings with tongues for Winter, and a tank top that said “I flexed and my arm fell off” for Yang. Qrow had been worried what Yang would think of that until Yang laughed so hard she fell over.

“That is _awesome_ ,” said Yang. “I’m gonna wear it when we go back to school.” She threw her arm around Penny, then around Ruby, to hug them both. “Thanks, guys.”

More presents went around. Qrow got a tie with tiny feathers on it from Blake, who offered him a weak smile, he grinned and put it on immediately. She giggled. James got a few interesting gifts, including a model mech suit from Winter, who shrugged and said, “You said you like them,” when James asked. He’d smiled at that.

Clothing, a few new video games, some new books for Blake – who looked like her entire world had been rearranged when she realized how many she got – and then they were all down to their last presents from each other.

James dug a little envelope out of his back pocket and turned it over and over in his hands. He looked at Yang, chewing on the inside of his cheek visibly.

“I need you to put on your shoes,” he said. Yang frowned but got to her feet, wobbling for a second. She followed him to the door and the rest followed suit. Qrow had no idea what James was doing. James had asked Qrow if he minded if he got Yang and Ruby something big, and Qrow had said it was fine, but beyond that he had no idea.

So he followed everyone, just as confused as they were, and felt his jaw drop open when he saw what was in his driveway.

It was a motorcycle. More accurately, it was an old, worn motorcycle with chipping paint that obviously needed some love and attention. Qrow stared at it, unsure of the intent, and swung his gaze toward James, who was watching Yang.

“A motorcycle,” said Yang, softly. She stumbled toward it, eyes wide and hand trembling as she stretched it toward the bike. “Why?”

“Your accident took away something you loved,” said James. He stuffed his hands in his pockets. His voice was low. “You loved working on your bike, you mentioned it to me, and I know how much it meant to you to have a problem to solve – something solid and physical, not just mental or emotional.” He took one hand out of his pocket and gestured to it. “It needs work. It’s been through a lot. It’s missing a handlebar and it doesn’t work well right now, but you can take it there. As you grow, so will it, as you learn, you’ll figure this out.”

And it dawned on Qrow, then, what James had done. The bike wasn’t just a bike. It was a symbol.

“I only have one arm,” said Yang, softly.

“Maybe you’ll want another prosthetic, at some point,” said James. He stepped forward and, after a moment’s hesitation, he rested his right hand on her left shoulder. Yang reached back and rested her hand on James’. “But,” continued James. “Even if you don’t, you’ll have me, and I know quite a few people who ride one-handed.”

“There’s no way I can afford to fix this,” said Yang, voice cracking. Qrow swallowed. Neither could he, in truth, even if he could get another job.

“That’s what I’m here for,” said James. “I’ll cover all the costs; I’ll help you fix it. But this is your motorcycle, and you’ll be fixing it primarily.” He looked down at Yang, watching her with soft eyes. “How does that sound?”

Yang said nothing. She stepped away from James and toward the bike, hand trembling as she rested her hand on the singular handlebar. “Bumblebee,” she said after a long minute of silence.

Qrow blinked, frowning.

Yang turned back toward them, lips pressed tightly together and tears in her eyes. “I’m gonna call her Bumblebee.”

James smiled. “That sounds perfect,” he said. Together, they all went back inside and took off their shoes. James passed Yang the key to her motorcycle and she twirled it over and over in her hand, staring at it with wide eyes and parted lips.

“Me next,” said Ruby. She leaned over and hugged Yang before grabbing her last present. It was from James, and Qrow was grateful it fit in the house. He didn’t need James buying Ruby a car or something. Probably a moped, honestly.

Ruby tore off the paper and shrieked loudly enough that half of them covered their ears. Ruby held up the present and grinned, showing it off to Qrow. It was, he realized, a brand new Qube, complete with eight controllers, four games, and a motion sensor.

“Ahh, thank you Mr. Ironwood!” Ruby set down the present and threw herself at James, hugging him tightly around the chest. He laughed and hugged her back, patting her head.

“I hope you and your friends enjoy it,” he said.

Ruby nodded and pulled away from him, turning to grin at Penny. “Penny, we gotta play Mario Kart later.” The determination in her voice made Qrow bite back a grin. “Please?” She gave Penny the best puppy dog stare she had and Penny giggled.

“Of course, Ruby,” said Penny, beaming.

Qrow raised an eyebrow and leaned back on the couch, throwing an arm over the back, near James’ shoulders. “You know,” said Qrow, “I feel like I should be jealous.” His gaze swung toward James. “Seems you’re stealing my kids, Jimmy.” The teasing in his voice had James chuckling and nudging his shoulder.

Yang grinned at Qrow, shaking her head. “Man, that’s gay,” she said, drily.

Qrow snorted. “So am I, firecracker.”

Blake made a noise of surprise, her gaze snapping up from the Qube to Qrow as her eyes went impossibly wide and her mouth dropped open in surprise. “What?” Her voice was tiny, barely there, but Qrow heard it all the same.

Barely fighting back a flinch, Qrow grimaced and scooted back onto his side of the couch, not saying a word. He let his arm drop from around James, feeling the way James went tense next to him as well.

Fuck, he’d forgotten that Blake didn’t know. She didn’t know about him, nor James, nor Yang. He was willing to bet that Penny was on that list too, based on off-hand comments from James and Ruby, if for different reasons. And, after what Adam had said to Qrow at the bar, he wouldn’t be surprised if Blake bolted after this. Whether from the room or the house, he didn’t know.

“How…” Everyone’s eyes were on Blake as she spoke. “How can you be so _open_ about it?”

Qrow took a deep breath and steadied himself. “I’m not, not really.” He gestured, hand barely moving, to the room around him. “But when you trust people, you let them in. I’m not ashamed of who I am, Blake, and that’s gotten me in trouble a few times.” He gave her a tiny smile. “But I try to be honest with myself. It usually works out.”

There was a long moment of silence, then Blake nodded. “Okay,” she said, and she settled back into place on the floor, her gaze faraway and her lips pressed together. Qrow figured it was the best he could hope for. After everything she’d been through, it was a wonderful she didn’t look worse off after that revelation.

The presents moved forward after a moment of hesitation, and James turned to Penny with a quiet smile.

“The last present I have for you isn’t _physical_ ,” said James, slowly. Penny cocked her head to one side, frowning. “Your sixteenth birthday is in May and, I know you want a party, but I also thought of something else you might like.”

Penny tipped her head to one side, frowning. “What?” she asked.

“Your mother’s coming up for that week. She’s going to help out with the party and visit with you,” said James.

Penny’s face lit up like a Christmas tree. She shrieked and clapped her hands together, bouncing in place. “I get to see Mom!” She clapped again, still grinning. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

“You’re very welcome,” said James, softly. He smiled at Qrow, who smiled back. Qrow didn’t know a lot about James’ relationship with the woman these days, just what they’d been before, and he wondered what it’d be like, seeing her up here. That was, of course, presuming he managed to keep the house.

“Blake,” said Qrow, when Penny stopped clapping. He dug into his sweatpants’ pocket and pulled out a small box, tossing it to her. “I know it’s not much, but it’s what we – me, Yang, and Ruby – decided on.” He nodded to the little box, his heart heavy as she frowned at it. How could he possibly explain this decision? How could he possibly tell her about all the little late night conversations he’d had with his girls about this?

Slowly, Blake opened the box. A second later, she clapped a hand over mouth and her eyes welled up with tears. She pulled the present from the box, revealing a little key.

“Is this…?” She trailed off. Qrow nodded.

“It’s for the house, yeah,” he said. Blake nodded and set down the box, sniffling. After a moment, Yang pulled her into a one-armed hug, letting Blake sniffle into her shoulder.

“Winter?” James’ voice broke through the silence once more. “Your present isn’t physical either.”

Winter tipped her head to one side, frowning. “Oh?” There was something in her voice that bothered Qrow. Almost like she hadn’t expected to get one last present at all. He bit the inside of his cheek to keep from saying something. He knew James. James would never leave one of his own out like that. Even if Qrow had no idea why Winter was staying with James.

“Penny? This is your present,” said James.

Penny took a deep breath, her gaze swinging up to the ceiling as she spoke, each word faster than the last. “I stayed after school one night before Christmas break. You were talking to Father the night before about your sister and…” Penny exhaled, her gaze swung toward the tree, her words slowing. “I discovered that she participated in choir at the school on Thursdays. So, I stayed after school and talked to her.”

Winter straightened up. “You… talked to Weiss?” Her words were slow, hesitant, unsure. Like she couldn’t believe what Penny was saying. “What did she say?”

“Yes,” said Penny. Winter frowned, brow furrowing. “She said yes. I asked her if she wanted to come to my house when school began again and she said yes.” Penny’s gaze slid across Winter’s careful bun before darting toward the stairs. “She wants to see you. She promised she would not tell her father.”

Winter swallowed hard. She placed a hand over her mouth, presumably to hide the way her lips trembled, and a choked sob escaped her. James slid across the couch and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

“Shh, I’ve got you,” whispered James. He stroked her back and held her close. “It’ll be all right.”

Winter sniffled, burying her face in James’ shoulder. “I…” Her voice cracked. “I haven’t seen her in almost _three years_.” She gave a shaky breath. “I don’t even know what she looks like anymore.”

“Oh!” said Penny, sounding delighted. She dug her phone out of her pocket and tapped it, before handing it to James. “I got a picture!”

James handed the phone to Winter, who pulled back from it and took it with trembling hands. Qrow couldn’t see the picture, but he could see Winter’s face. The way her trembling lips transformed into a smile, the way her eyes went soft as she stroked the screen, and the way she leaned back against the cushions, her body relaxing and her world zeroing in on the phone.

“Thank you, Penny,” whispered Winter. “I don’t think I can ever repay you for this.”

“It’s a present,” said Penny, wrinkling her nose. “The purpose of a present is that you give without receiving payment. Your happiness is simply… interest.” She beamed at Winter. “I’m just glad you’re happy.”

Winter nodded, not saying a word. She clung to the phone and stared at it, her eyes soft and her entire body curled around the glowing screen.

“Your turn, Uncle Qrow,” said Yang. Qrow looked back to Yang and saw that Blake had pulled away from her. “James said he got you something.”

James held out a simple envelope to Qrow, not quite meeting his gaze. Qrow took the envelope with some hesitation and, with a furrowed brow, carefully opened it.

Inside, he found a card and he opened it to see James’ crisp handwriting. The message was short.

_“Qrow, I know you’ve been having a rough time since you lost your job. I want you to know that if you need anything – help with bills, food, the hospital, anything – I’ll be there. You’re my friend and I’d hate to see you, or your girls, suffering because you thought you couldn’t ask for help._

_Yours, James.”_

Qrow swallowed hard around the sudden lump in his throat and closed the card, taking a deep breath. James’ hand rested on his shoulder and Qrow looked to him. The concern in James’ blue-blue eyes made Qrow’s breath catch for a moment longer.

“Are you okay?” asked James, his hand sliding around to cup the back of his neck.

Qrow nodded and gave a quick swipe at his eyes. He tucked the card into his sweatpants. It was heavy there, both a blessing and a curse all in one. He had the resources, but could he ask for the help?

Qrow cleared his throat. “Well, that’s… there’s one left.” He nodded to Ruby, who handed him a little box. Qrow handed it to James and watched the way James furrowed his brow.

James opened the little red box and immediately his face went slack, his eyes impossibly soft and his mouth parting. He reached in with his right hand, and for the first time that day Qrow realized James was wearing a glove over his hand, and pulled out a little red, blown glass robin on a thin ribbon.

“I saw them painted on your cabinets,” said Qrow, softly, “I figured maybe you’d want another one to add to the collection.”

James’ expression turned from soft to strained, he swallowed hard, licked his lips. His body went tense around the shoulders. After a moment, he set the red robin back in its box, closed it, and got to his feet, still holding the box.

“Excuse me,” murmured James, and he pushed out of the room, head down and entire body one long line of tension.

“Did we do something wrong?” asked Ruby.

Qrow frowned and got to his feet. “I’ll go see what’s up,” he said, and he followed James into the kitchen.

In the kitchen, he saw James leaning hard against the counters, eyes closed and hands fisted against the countertop. His entire body was tense, his shoulders up near his ears and his jaw clenched tight enough that Qrow’s back teeth gave a pang in sympathy.

“James?” Qrow kept his voice soft as he stepped into the room, careful not to take any sudden movements. He wasn’t sure when the last time he’d seen James like this was. Wasn’t sure he’d _ever_ seen James like this. When James got upset, he usually got angry.

Qrow’s fingers twitched toward his throat, but he fought back the urge. Didn’t want to send James into something else.

“Hey,” said Qrow. He stopped and leaned sideways against the counter, one hand on the surface and the other at his side. “You okay?”

James took a deep, deliberate breath, and opened his eyes. He didn’t look at Qrow. He stared at the counter with tense shoulders and worked his jaw.

“Did I do something wrong?” asked Qrow. He reached out, almost hesitantly. When James didn’t react, Qrow rested his hand on James’ right shoulder. “Talk to me.”

Those seemed to be the magic words. James’ eyes opened and he turned his head sideways to look at Qrow with pained eyes. “The robins.” James’ voice cracked on the words. He cleared his throat. “In my kitchen. They’re…” He took a deep breath, eyes closing again. “My mother painted them.”

More silence. Qrow rubbed slow circles into James’ shoulder. There was no give, but he kept going. Underneath his hand were prosthetics, Qrow knew, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t comfort James.

“My father hated them. He was always threatening to paint over them, but he was never home.” James’ voice was tiny, cracking as he spoke. “He never got a chance.” James gave a sharp, bitter laugh. “I lived in his house for almost eighteen damn years and I think I saw him twice a year.” He shook his head, eyes closed. Qrow said nothing, unsure of what he was supposed to do.

James opened his eyes after a moment. “When I moved out, I took the robins with me,” whispered James. The little box sat in front of him on the counter, unassuming. “I transferred them into my new kitchen, so I’d always have her with me.” His eyes opened. He stared at the box. “She would have loved this.”

“I’m sorry,” said Qrow.

“Thank you,” whispered James. He tilted his head again and looked at Qrow, a gentle smile on his face. “You didn’t do anything wrong, Qrow.” He straightened up and cleared his throat. His eyes shimmered in the light and Qrow swallowed hard.

His hand was still on James’ shoulder.

“I…” James sighed, his shoulders slumping. “I know I haven’t always been the greatest friend to you, but I want to change that.” He reached out to Qrow. Qrow’s breath caught in his chest as James’ fingers stroked the side of his neck, right where he had once used his hand to pin Qrow to a wall. “I never should have hurt you.” His words were barely above a whisper.

Qrow swallowed, trying to ignore the way his free hand, still at his side, trembled. “It’s fine.” His voice was hoarse. “I forgave you ages ago. I just…” His gaze went to the box. “I wanted to show you how much what you’ve been doing for me – for us – means to me.” He swallowed again, but the hoarseness in his voice remained. “Didn’t mean to stir up bad feelings, Jim.”

“You keep doing that,” said James, there was almost a sense of wonder in James’ voice, half cloaked with confusion.

“Stirring up bad feelings?” asked Qrow. His gaze darted to James’ lips, unable to help it. They were less than a foot from each other. James’ hand on Qrow was like a beacon, drawing all of Qrow’s attention to his soft words and softer touch.

James shook his head. “Calling me Jim.” He frowned. “But you only do it when we’re talking like this.” Qrow swallowed hard. _Shit._ He’d hoped James wouldn’t notice. His gaze went from James’ lips to his eyes, and then he repeated the gesture.

“I…” Qrow couldn’t find the words.

“I don’t mind,” said James. His words were barely above a whisper as he stepped toward Qrow. Qrow stared up at James, his heart beating impossibly loud in his chest.

“Jim?” whispered Qrow.

James nodded to the ceiling. Qrow’s gaze followed to the little green spring hanging just above them.

“Mistletoe,” whispered James, and he closed the distance between them.

Qrow gave a sharp inhale as their lips met, his entire world zeroing in on the sensation. On his hand on James’ shoulder, on James’ hand taking Qrow’s chin to tilt his head up properly, on the feeling of his mouth on James’. He leaned into it, hand tightening on James’ shoulder, let the warmth and comfort of the kiss consume him.

When they pulled back, Qrow gave a shaky little exhale, his shoulders quivering and his lips tingling. “Wow,” whispered Qrow.

“Yeah,” whispered James. “Wow.” He rested his forehead against Qrow’s and smiled at him. Qrow swallowed hard and tried not to get lost in those impossibly blue eyes. “Listen, Qrow…”

“Can I start?” asked Qrow.

James blinked. “Of course.”

Qrow took a deep breath and stepped away from James. He saw the hurt in James’ eyes, but he couldn’t bring himself to keep the contact any longer. It was too difficult to think when James was like that. Too difficult to keep his head straight.

But he had to remember his promise: the girls came first. No matter what his own heart was screaming at him. The girls had to come first.

“I like you,” said Qrow. He bit his lip. “A lot, actually,” said Qrow, voice cracking. He swallowed. “You’re talented, sensitive, incredibly caring, and I’ve never had a better friend. Not to mention you’re stupidly attractive.”

James frowned. “I’m sensing a but.”

“Yeah,” said Qrow, wincing. He rubbed the back of his neck. “ _But_ , we’ve both got a lot going on right now, and I don’t think it’s going away anytime soon. The CPS is after me, you have Winter to deal with, I’ve got Blake. There’s still so much going on with the kids and I’m trying to get another job.” He took another breath. “James, I like you, a lot, but we’ve both got a lot going on and I don’t think I’m in a good place for a relationship.” He flexed his hand at his side, trying to ground himself. “I need to think of the girls, and what they need, not just what I want.” He licked his lips. “I need to be a good father.”

James’ expression fell with every word, but he nodded when Qrow paused.

“Plus,” said Qrow, slowly. This was the harder part, the part he had to admit to himself as well as James. “I don’t know all that much about you. I mean, I do. I know a _lot_ , but not the same way you know me, you know?” He shrugged and stuffed his thumbs in the waistband of his sweatpants. He didn’t miss the way James’ gaze followed his hands, nor the way it lingered, for just a moment, on the sweatpants as Qrow’s hands accidentally nudged them down half an inch.

“Okay,” said James. His gaze went back to Qrow, the back of his neck flushed. He sighed, soft, but there. “So, what do you want to do?”

“When this is over, whenever that is, I’d love to go out, to do the entire relationship thing, if you’re willing,” said Qrow.

James said, “I am.”

Qrow nodded. “So am I. But not until this is over. Not until I make sure my girls are safe, okay?”

“Okay,” said James. He stepped toward Qrow. “Before we go back out, can I kiss you, just one more time?”

Qrow tilted his head up and swallowed hard. _God yes,_ he thought, but, instead, he whispered, “Please.”

James closed the distance between them once more. It was a short kiss, electric in its meaning, and when they pulled back, James was pink and Qrow felt he was probably the same.

“All right,” whispered James, his breath ghosting Qrow’s lips, “when this is over. Not a moment after.”

“Deal,” Qrow whispered back. Together, the two went back into the living room. Qrow’s lips tingled the entire way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are love


	27. Twenty Questions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is a one scene chapter, again, and this time it's with Yang and Blake. I'm not gonna lie, this chapter gets pretty heavy, because we're learning about Yang and Blake's backstories. So be prepared for some references to an abusive relationship involving a grown man and an underage girl, as well as discussion of car accidents.
> 
> Stay safe, everyone. <3

The house was quiet Boxing Day morning. Yang wasn’t sure where Ruby was - though she suspected the answer was in the living room, playing video games - and she stretched in her bedroom, yawning. There was a faint twinge in the stump of her right arm, marking the pull where muscles had once met metal to allow her to stretch on both sides.

Yang frowned and rubbed her right shoulder before shoving herself out of bed. It was... strange to be back down to one arm. She’d only been without one for a couple months, back after the crash. Even then, she’d spent most of that in the hospital, trying to recover from everything that had happened.

Swallowing, Yang left the room, only missing the door knob once when she went to grab it. She tried not to let it bother her. Sure, there were a lot of things she couldn’t do right now, but there were still plenty of things she _could_ do, like work on the motorcycle with James.

Yang’s gaze swung toward Uncle Qrow’s room. She peeked her head in and noticed the room was empty, the blankets rumpled at the foot of the bed. Somehow, she thought she knew where he was, and it wasn’t the living room.

Both she and Ruby had noticed how close Uncle Qrow and James had gotten since they’d moved here. Sure, they’d never really been able to put any plans together to hook them up, but Yang didn’t think that was a bad thing. Sometimes, you just had to let people do what they wanted. Their hearts would eventually lead them to the right place.

Yang’s gaze drifted toward Blake’s closed bedroom door and she swallowed. Her mouth was suddenly incredibly dry, leaving her wanting to down an entire water bottle or six. Yesterday had been an adventure in new revelations. Blake’s growing fondness of physical contact, Ruby and Penny’s love of video games, Winter apparently having a sister about Yang’s age, and, of course, Blake finding out that Qrow was gay.

In fairness, she could have taken it a lot worse, but Yang had, secretly, been hoping she’d take it well. Or at least, better than she had. But that had mostly been wishful thinking on Yang’s part.

Yang crossed the hall to Blake’s door and tapped on it, leaning in the door frame until it opened. Blake gave her a curious look, face wrinkled so adorably that Yang had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep herself from ‘awwing’ aloud.

“Morning, roomie,” said Yang, perkily. She flashed an easy grin at Blake, pleased when Blake smiled back at her. Blake’s smile was softer, shyer, but there all the same. Yang wished Blake smiled more.

She had an incredible smile.

“Good morning, Yang,” said Blake. There was a cheer downstairs and a dramatic ‘no!’ Blake’s eyebrows shot up.

“I think Ruby just lost a race,” said Yang, dryly. Blake giggled, one hand over her mouth, and Yang bit the inside of her cheek again. The morning sun streaming through the curtains threw a warm glow across Blake’s face, making her golden eyes sparkle even more than they usually did. “Mind if I come in?” Yang managed to get out, ignoring the way her voice went tight.

Blake’s brow furrowed, but she stepped back and let Yang into the room. Yang slipped passed her, brushing close enough to feel the warmth of Blake at her side. She dropped onto the end of Blake’s bed and leaned back on her arm, planting her hand on the perfectly made bed.

“So, what’s new?” asked Yang.

Blake, still looking confused, sat down at the head of her bed, drawing her legs underneath herself. Without meaning to, Yang let her gaze drop to the collar for just a second. Her mouth went tight around the edges and she dragged her gaze back up to Blake’s eyes. Blake was watching her, frowning.

“Sorry,” mumbled Yang.

Blake’s fingers came up and brushed the collar, still frowning. Her hand dropped. “It’s fine.” A pause, pregnant with tension and purpose. “Your uncle, Qrow, he looks at it a lot too. I don’t think he can stand it.” Her last words were soft, almost a murmur.

Before Yang could stop herself, she said, “Neither can I.” The sharpness to her voice had Blake’s eyes going wide. For a second, she reminded Yang of a startled cat, caught in the back corners of an alleyway.

“Sorry,” said Yang, again.

Blake sighed. “It’s fine. I don’t expect anyone to get it.” Her fingers went to the collar, stopping just short of it. Yang found herself wondering if Blake wore it while she showered, if she wore it while she slept. Surely, she’d washed it since she’d moved in? But then, Yang had never seen her without it. Though, she also hadn’t seen Blake do laundry, and she obviously had.

“I only barely get it myself,” said Blake. She hugged herself, staring at the sheets. “It’s complicated.”

“I bet,” said Yang, quietly. Her gaze went to Blake’s arms, wrapped around herself. She wanted to reach out and hug Blake, to take her hands in her own, and hold Blake closely until she forgot the horrors of the world. “Have...” She trailed off, frowning. “Sorry, it’s rude.”

“No, ask,” said Blake. She watched Yang, her eyes concerned and her lips pursed. “I know plenty about your family, but you don’t know anything about me. We should...” She shook her head. “We should fix that.”

“Let’s start with your last name,” said Yang. She stabbed a finger at Blake. “Because I still don’t know about that.”

Blake laughed, the sound slightly disbelieving. It was music to Yang’s ears. She never wanted to hear anything else. “Have I really not told you?” Yang shook her head. “It’s Belladonna.”

Yang raised her eyebrows. “Like the flower?” she asked.

Blake nodded. “One of the most poisonous plants in the world,” she said.

“Oooh, dangerous,” Yang teased, grinning.

Blake snorted. “Something like that,” she said, dryly. “What about you, is yours... Branwen?” The way she said the name made Yang think she’d been searching around for it in her head first.

“Xiao Long,” said Yang. “I have my dad’s last name. Ruby has her mom’s - Rose.” A thought struck her. “Oh! That’s a great idea, we should swap questions. That way we both get to know each other.” She turned around on the bed to fully face Blake and crossed her legs, resting her hand where her ankles crossed. “My turn...” She hummed, looking at the ceiling. “Hrm... okay, so you’re seventeen, like me, right?”

Blake nodded. “Yes.” She looked thoughtful before she said, “So you like... motorcycles?” The hesitation in her voice had Yang grinning.

“Oh yeah, motorcycles, cars, anything with an engine.” She looked up at the ceiling, mind far away. “Could probably figure out planes and boats if I had the training.” Her gaze went back to Blake. “I wanted to be a mechanic.”

“Wanted?” echoed Blake, head cocked to one side.

“Yeah,” said Yang, nodding. “I mean, I still do, but...” She held up her stump to emphasize her hesitation. “I mean, I already had to relearn how to use it once, it’s going to be hard to do it again.” She sighed, shoulders dropping. “I already lost a year of school to it. I’m a Junior, should be a Senior, but it’s fine.” She flashed a smile at Blake. “I’ll figure it out.”

Blake worried her lower lip, eyebrows furrowed over her nose, which wrinkled as she watched Yang. “You still could be,” said Blake, after a moment.

“Yeah? You think?” asked Yang, perking. Uncle Qrow and Ruby had told her as much, of course, but they were family. It was their jobs to make sure Yang thought she could do anything she wanted. Yang knew she couldn’t. Knew that there were limitations, now that she was working either with only one arm or a prosthetic she had to reteach everything to, again.

“Yeah, I think you’d make a great mechanic,” said Blake. She smiled shyly at Yang, tucking a strand of hair back behind one ear. “You have... that kind of feeling about you, if that makes sense.”

Yang grinned. “It does,” she said. She thought of her next question carefully. “What about you? What do you want to be?”

Blake shook her head and looked away from Yang. “It’s stupid,” she mumbled.

Yang leaned forward, resting her hand on Blake’s knee. Blake started, but when she looked at Yang, her gaze was one of surprise, not fear.

“Hey, I bet it’s awesome.” She smiled at Blake, trying to channel all the warmth she felt for the girl into her expression. “Please, tell me?”

Blake nodded, swallowing. “I... wanted to be a veterinarian.”

“Wanted?” echoed Yang, cocking her head to one side.

“Adam... told me it was stupid.” She hugged herself again. “Told me I wasn’t smart enough to finish high school, let alone go to college.” She sniffled, her golden eyes shimmering with unshed tears.

Yang squeezed Blake’s knee, slightly frustrated that she couldn’t reach out and brush away those tears with another hand. “Hey,” said Yang, voice infinitely soft. “I think that’s an incredible idea. You’d be an amazing vet, Blake, and you’ve got the brain for it.” She took her hand off Blake’s knee and gestured to the books that Blake had been hoarding in her room. Most of them were from the shelves in the house, but some were from the library, on Yang’s card. “Look around, you’re super smart, you just never had the right people around to tell you to go for your dreams.”

Blake sniffled, wiping away her tears. “Thank you,” she mumbled. “That’s...” She swallowed visibly. “Thank you.” Yang pretended not to notice how thick with tears Blake’s voice was.

“You’re welcome,” said Yang.

They stayed quiet for a minute, then questions resumed. They tossed mostly inconsequential questions after that. Favourite colours - Yang’s was orange, Blake’s was dark purple - favourite foods - Yang liked fettuccine alfredo, Blake liked tuna salad - and a couple questions about books, clothes, and favourite places around town.

On Blake’s turn, almost an hour after they started, she hesitated, and Yang tipped her head to one side and frowned, watching Blake as she seemed to struggle with the next question she wanted to ask.

“I’m... not sure if I should ask this next one,” said Blake, slowly.

Yang shrugged. “Go for it,” she said. She wondered if it was about yesterday, and about Uncle Qrow accidentally outing himself to Blake and, probably, Winter as well. Blake was probably wondering what Yang thought of that, or if she and Ruby were like Uncle Qrow. Yang didn’t know about Ruby, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to tell Blake about herself. Not because of Blake’s reaction, she figured it would be fine, but because it would make the context of their held pinkies in the back of Uncle Qrow’s car a bit different.

And a bit truer, for that matter.

“What happened to your arm?” asked Blake. Yang blinked, taken aback. She hadn’t been expecting _that_. It’d been a while since anyone had asked about what happened to her. Most people just whispered or stared instead of actually asking.

At Yang’s hesitation, Blake’s eyes went wide and she curled back into the headboard. “I’m sorry! I shouldn’t have said anything,” said Blake, hugging herself. “Forget it.”

“It’s... fine,” said Yang, slowly. “Just been a while since anyone’s asked.” She frowned at the blanket, running her fingers through it.

“You don’t have to tell me,” said Blake.

Yang shook her head, lips pressed tightly together. After a moment, she said, “You know Ruby and I are half-sisters, right?”

“Yeah,” said Blake. Her voice sounded faraway. Yang wondered if it was because of her own mind or because of Blake’s worry. Something told her this was more on her than on Blake.

“My mom, my biological mom, she...” Yang frowned. “I never really knew her. She left before Ruby was born, and she only came back after our parents - my _there_ mom and our dad - died.” Yang didn’t look at Blake as she spoke, instead focusing on blanket under her hand. She stroked it methodically, using the feeling to ground herself.

Took another breath and kept going, “Uncle Qrow hates her, I think, I don’t know what Ruby thinks of her, but she’s my mom, so I always wanted to know her, you know? I didn’t want to know her through other people. I wanted to know her through _her_. Everything people told me was biased, right?” Her gaze darted up to Blake, who watched her with soft eyes and a worried furrow in her brow.

Yang gave a soft, frustrated laugh. “So she contacted me a couple times when I was a kid...” She shook her head, pressing her lips together. “No, that’s not right. She called my _uncle_ and he never liked it. So when she called me, just before I turned sixteen, I thought it was a dream come true.”

Again, she paused, swallowing hard. The words refused to come, getting tangled up in her throat as she forced them out, one at a time. This wasn’t the story she’d told Uncle Qrow, or Ruby, or the police. That one had been edited, simplified.

This one was the truth. This one had the details she’d left out to spare Uncle Qrow’s feelings.

“She was... different from what I expected, but she was a lot like me. Emotional, but she has a harder time expressing it. And we’re both hard to talk out of shit, and...” Yang gave a soft laugh, shaking her head. “We both have this _thing_ with people taking care of us. We kind of... ran from it.” She grimaced, her next words soft. “Even if they were right and we were wrong, you know?” She wanted, desperately, to wrap her arms around her knees and hug herself into a little ball, but it wasn’t possible anymore.

All because of her stupid self-sacrificing bullshit.

Which she’d probably do again in a few months, or a year, or something. It never stopped. She never changed.

But then, her mom didn’t seem to either. Maybe they had that in common.

“We talked for months, but I never told anyone. Then, one night, she asked to meet up, and I was so pumped.” She smiled at the sheets, the echoes of her excitement dancing back to her, despite everything else that had happened that night. “But my uncle found our logs and he freaked the fuck out on me.” She winced, remembering how he’d screamed at her.

He’d told her that she was stupid, that she’d get hurt. That she wasn’t allowed to go.

She’d told him that he wasn’t her real dad, or a dad at all, and he should stop trying.

Her hand fisted in the blanket, remembering the way he’d broken when she’d screamed that. The way his voice had cracked, the way his eyes had teared up, the way he’d crumbled against the wall vacant and shaking all at once.

She’d left without another word, chasing after ghosts that she never caught.

There’d been a time, after that, when Yang had thought those would be the last words she ever said to him.

She still wasn’t sure how he’d forgiven her.

“Yang?” Blake’s voice was tiny, and when Yang looked up, Blake was blurry. She wiped at the tears in her eyes and sniffled, taking a deep breath to steady herself.

She kept on. “So, I got on my bike and I drove in the dead of night, in the cold, in the _rain_ to go after my mom. And I was so upset and so distracted that I didn’t notice the asshole truck driver coming around the corner.” The words all poured out of her now, spilling from her lips and onto the sheets. It was as though something had unlocked, and now she couldn’t stop until she was done. “He swiped me, _hard_ , and I went down in a ditch in the fucking rain.” Her voice cracked again. She fisted the sheets. “My arm got pinned under the exhaust. I knew I had cracked my head open. I... I thought I was going to die.”

She could still remember it, her arm pinned under the bike, the exhaust pipe burning her until she could feel nothing but pain and smell nothing but her own destruction. Some nights, she still woke up feeling that burn, long after the arm had been amputated.

“How did you survive?” asked Blake. Her voice was soft, sorrowful.

“Ruby,” said Yang. She looked up at Blake in time to catch the surprise that flashed across her face. “She was... fourteen at a time. She stole my uncle’s keys and drove his car - a red station wagon - and followed me. She found me in a ditch, called 911, and kept me conscious until the ambulance got there.”

Yang remembered the cape Ruby used to wear. It had been red, like rubies, and it had been a gift from their parents, to be worn as a blanket when Ruby was a baby. They’d never been able to get the blood stains out of it, after that night.

They’d thrown it out and turned what they could salvage into a bandanna. Yang still felt guilty for that.

“If it wasn’t for Ruby, I wouldn’t have made it,” said Yang, quietly. “I threw my phone at Qrow before I left. She grabbed it. She stole the keys. She came after me. I... I knocked Qrow down too far for him to come get me.”

Her vision blurred again and this time Yang let the tears fall into her lap, not bothering to hide them.

“The worst part is that Uncle Qrow blames my mom for what happened. But it wasn’t her fault I got swiped. And it wasn’t her fault I got upset enough to drive stupid.” Yang flexed her hand, taking a breath to steady herself. “And then we _moved_ and I never got to _meet_ her and now I’ll never know what she’s like.”

Yang bit her lower lip hard enough to hurt. “I’ll never get to know if I’m as much like her as Uncle Qrow thinks I am.” She’d heard him, a couple times, when he got drunk. He never said anything to her, but he whispered to Ruby’s mom and their dad, saying how much she was like her mom, like Raven, like his twin.

It worried her sometimes, how he got when he was drunk.

“And uh,” Yang cleared her throat and rubbed the back of her neck. “that’s it.” She shrugged. “That’s how I lost my arm.” She looked up at Blake, who watched her with wide eyes and parted lips.

After a moment, Blake said, “Thank you for telling me,” in such a tiny voice that Yang almost felt guilty.

They stayed in silence for a few minutes, neither one speaking or looking at one another. Yang wracked her brain for what to say. She’d just spilled her guts to Blake and now things were weird, tense. She didn’t like it.

But if she spilled her heart, then maybe...

Yang took a breath.

"So, my turn," said Yang, clearing her throat. The words seemed to shatter the tension as Blake looked to Yang, looking ready for the next question. Blake nodded and Yang made a show of looking thoughtful, but she already knew what she was going to ask. "What happened with you and Adam?"

Blake's fingers strayed to the collar, her eyes faraway. Yang knew the look well - it was the look of someone drowning in the past. She'd seen it enough on Uncle Qrow to know how dangerous that look could be.

But, before she could take back what she said, Blake looked at her, took a deep breath, and asked, "What do you want to know about him?"

“Anything you’re willing to tell me,” said Yang. Hesitantly, she reached out and rested her hand on Blake’s knee. Blake pressed her lips together in a thin white line. For a minute, she didn’t say anything, just stared at Yang’s hand on her knee with faraway eyes.

Yang didn’t move, didn’t even breathe deeply. Two weeks ago – a month ago – she never would have dreamed of asking Blake this. But now, especially after Christmas, she thought that maybe, just maybe, they could both open up to each other.

“I have a brother.” Blake’s words were soft, hesitant, and Yang blinked. Okay, she hadn’t been expecting that. Blake swallowed, frowned, stared at Yang’s hand with a furrowed brow. “Or… I did. I don’t know what happened to him.” She drew back from Yang, wrapping her arms around her legs as she pulled them up to her chest.

Yang rested her hand on her legs where her ankles crossed; open, but silent. If Blake needed the distance, she could give her that much.

“He’s… eight years older than me.” She frowned. “Our parents died when I was nine years old, just before he turned eighteen. I got sent to foster care, he was tossed out to figure everything out himself.” Blake blinked hard and Yang pressed her lips together. Tears had gathered in the corners of Blake’s eyes and she reached up and wiped her eyes. “I haven’t seen him in almost eight years,” she whispered.

Yang couldn’t imagine not seeing Ruby for eight years. God, how did Blake do it?

“I never really had a home after that, people just kind of tossed me aside.” Blake shrugged. “No one really cared, and I was a problem kid. I missed my brother. And it went on like that until I was twelve.”

_Twelve._

A pit formed in Yang’s stomach.

_Oh no._

“That’s when I met Adam,” said Blake. Yang’s stomach knotted. She pressed her lips harder together to keep herself from reacting. “He…” Blake rubbed at her eyes. “God, I was so _stupid_.” The sharpness in her voice drew Yang from her silence.

“You were a kid. You didn’t know,” said Yang. Blake looked up at her and gave a tiny, watery smile. The self-deprecation in it made Yang swallow hard. It was a look she’d seen on her uncle a thousand times. It didn’t look any better on Blake.

Blake said, “Maybe,” but she didn’t sound convinced. “He…” She grimaced. “He told me I was beautiful, that I was _exotic_.” Yang grimaced as well. Blake wasn’t _exotic_ , like a rug, she was a person. And maybe she was half-Japanese, from what Yang had gathered, but that wasn’t some excuse to be some yellow-fevered asshole about her. There was _no excuse_ to be a creepy racist.

“I believed him,” whispered Blake. She swiped at her eyes. “God help me, I believed him. And he just never stopped. He kept coming, kept telling me this stuff, and by the time I was fif _teen_ -” Her voice broke and she cleared her throat. Her hands fisted against her legs. She sniffled. “I just wanted to be _loved_ , Yang. I just wanted to feel like someone _cared_.” She buried her face in her knees and gave a broken off sob.

Yang crawled across the bed and rested her hand on Blake’s arm. Blake looked up and stared at Yang, tears running freely down her face. Yang held out her arm and Blake nodded, allowing Yang to draw her into a hug. Blake buried her face in Yang’s shoulder and sobbed again, wrapping her arms tightly around Yang. Yang wrapped her arm around Blake and pressed her face into Blake’s hair.

“I’m sorry, I _can’t_ ,” croaked Blake between sobs. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

“Shhh, it’s okay,” whispered Yang. She pressed a kiss to Blake’s hair. “It’s okay. It’s not your fault. None of this is your fault.”

They sat like that for some time, Blake crying quietly into Yang’s shoulder while Yang held her as best she could. After a while – long enough for Yang to feel the strain on her shoulder, short enough that no one had checked on them – Blake turned her head sideways and Yang felt her breath ghost her throat.

“Sorry,” whispered Blake.

“There’s nothing to be sorry about,” said Yang. She stroked Blake’s hair, almost absently. “Absolutely nothing.” Yang understood, now more than ever, the way her uncle went tense whenever his gaze went to that collar for too long. She understood, now more than ever, just why Uncle Qrow was so protective of Blake.

Most importantly, she understood now why Uncle Qrow wanted this guy dead.

Yang did too.

Adam was such a bullshit name too. There were a hundred million Adam’s in the world. People like that should be named something scary, like Vladimir, or Jekyll, or Rasputin.

Something that set off warning bells in your head.

“I guess our game is over,” whispered Blake.

Yang hummed. “One last question?” she asked.

“Sure,” said Blake.

“What’s your brother’s name?” asked Yang.

“Oh,” said Blake, and Yang felt her relax against Yang more completely. “Tukson.”

Yang nodded. It was a good name, not one she recognized, but good all the same.

“He sounds great,” said Yang.

Blake sighed, soft and sad. “He was. He is.”

Yang wondered, as they sat there together, if Blake would ever see him again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are love!


	28. New Years

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some things are happy, some thing are sad. Such is life, don't you think?
> 
> Also, it's my birthday today! Happy birthday to me!

New Years Eve came too quickly for Qrow’s liking, but he couldn’t find it in himself to mind. With everything else that had happened in the last few weeks, it was almost a relief for a normal holiday to creep up on Qrow, as opposed to the drama that had plagued his life since he’d moved in down the road from James.

It helped, Qrow thought, that he and James had finally cleared the air between them. If not for that, he thought he might have dreaded New Years just as he’d dreaded Christmas.

But then, Christmas had turned out just fine, hadn’t it? Better than fine, in fact. Much, much better than fine.

So, as the Branwen-Xiao Long-Rose-Belladonna household headed over to the Ironwood household to celebrate New Years, Qrow couldn’t help but feel relieved. The worst was over, the storm had passed, and now, he and his girls could solve the rest of their problems – CPS, Adam, Yang’s arm – without worrying about anything else. Without worrying about whether or not he’d have support outside his girls.

Ruby rapped on the door, though Qrow suspected she could have just walked in, and, a moment later, James opened the door. He was dusted with flour, wearing an apron, and looking more than a little lost.

“Trying to bake?” guessed Qrow, amusement evident in his voice. James nodded, looking a tad embarrassed. With a quiet chuckle, Qrow stepped forward and cupped James’ face with one hand, thumbing away the flour there. He hummed. “How about I give you a hand?” he asked, teasing.

“Please,” said James, also smiling. Qrow stepped around James, catching James by the apron to tug him back into the house with a quiet chuckle.

Yang wolf-whistled, Ruby giggled. Blake, Qrow saw when he looked over his shoulder, looked a little lost, but otherwise seemed just fine. Qrow was grateful. He wasn’t sure how well he could hide the torrent of emotion that threatened to spill out every time he looked at James.

The air was clear, but that didn’t change how he felt. Didn’t change how he acted. All it changed was the context, the fear, the knowledge.

“You girls go set up,” said Qrow, cracking a grin at them. “I’m gonna try and make sure Jimmy here doesn’t blow up his kitchen.”

James muttered, “Hardly,” but the girls were already gone, waving as they darted into the living room.

After a moment, James said, “Are you sure they wouldn’t rather go to Sun and Neptune’s party tonight?”

“Yeah,” said Qrow, nodding. “Blake doesn’t do parties, Yang doesn’t wanna deal with questions, and Ruby would rather be with them and Penny than at a party.” He flashed a grin at James. “We’ll just have to make sure _our_ party is twice as good to make sure they don’t regret spending their New Years with a couple of old fogies.”

James rolled his eyes and nudged Qrow toward his kitchen. “We’re not _that_ old.”

“To them? We are,” said Qrow. He laughed into the kitchen, tugging James alongside him. For a moment, just a moment, everything was _perfect._

* * *

 

Yang stretched as she dropped onto the couch, grinning as Blake and Ruby put down the snacks of the coffee table and took their own spots. James’ living room was a lot different from theirs – less squishy pillows and more posed pictures – but it was homey all the same.

Blake perched herself in the recliner, her legs curled underneath her and her hands folded in her lap. She was wearing one of the bows that Ruby and Penny had gotten her, this one purple with bright white comic-style text that said “Eat my entire ass”. Yang had cracked up three times already from it. So had Ruby.

Winter, poised and prim as she looked, sniffed when she saw it. Frankly, Yang had never actually seen someone do the sniff thing outside of movies. It was just as unattractive in real life as it was on TV. And it was just another thing that made Yang dislike Winter.

That, coupled with Winter snarling at her uncle like it was going out of style – on _Christmas_ of all days – had Yang hoping Winter would turn in early tonight. She didn’t want her New Years ruined by her being all high and mighty about her uncle and his thing with James again.

Whatever the thing they had was, anyway.

“So,” said Blake, softly. “Are your uncle and Mr. Ironwood dating?” She sounded confused, her nose wrinkled, but not in disgust.

“Hardly,” said Winter, snorting. “James is far out of Qrow’s league.”

Yang glared at Winter. “Hey! That’s my uncle you’re talking about.”

Winter rolled her eyes and scoffed, settling into the loveseat that Penny also sat on. “Your uncle is, what’s the metaphor, barking up the wrong tree?”

“If you’d seen them act, you wouldn’t say that,” said Yang, rolling her eyes. She draped her arm across the back of the couch, on eyebrow cocked. “Or is this about the gay thing?”

Winter gave an exaggerated eye roll and scoffed again. She didn’t say anything, but Yang almost swore she saw something akin to disgust – to frustration – in Winter’s eyes.

“Hey,” said Yang, sharply. Winter cocked an eyebrow at her. “There’s nothing wrong with being gay.”

“I never said that, I simply said I think Qrow is going after the wrong man,” said Winter.

Yang balled her hand into a fist and growled low in her throat. “What? You think Ironwood is straight?” Winter gave her a flat look that Yang couldn’t make out. She bared her teeth, hackles rising, and snapped out, “He’s about as straight as I am, you stuck up brat.”

As soon as the words were spoken, Yang regretted them. Fuck, how could she be so careless? She froze, eyes going wide as her gaze swung toward Blake, who stared at her with equally wide eyes.

“You’re…” Blake trailed off, still staring.

Yang swallowed hard and managed a stiff nod. No going back now.

Blake blinked once. Twice. Three times. “Is… anyone in your family straight?” she asked.

Ruby shrugged. “I have no idea what I am. I’ll figure it out later. When I’m not fifteen.”

Another blink. Slowly, Blake nodded, took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. “Okay,” she said, voice cracking. “That’s… okay.”

“You’re sure?” asked Yang.

Blake nodded, sharp and shaky. “I can handle your uncle; I can handle this. You’re my friend, Yang, and it’s not… I don’t… I’m not…” She trailed off, tugged at her hair. “Excuse me,” she mumbled, and she got up and darted out of the room. A moment later, Yang heard the door bang shut, and figured Blake had gone out the back to hide.

She slumped against the couch, putting her hand over her face, and groaned.

“Well, that went well,” said Winter, drily.

Yang growled quietly. “You know what? Shut the hell up,” snapped Yang. She pushed herself to her feet and scowled at Winter. “What do you even know about us – about anything in this neighbourhood?” She stalked off after Blake. “It’s not like you care about anything but yourself.”

She headed for the back door, trying to calm herself before she ran into Blake. She had to fix things. Today was supposed to be a good day.

* * *

 

There was a long pause after Yang and Blake left in which no one spoke. Ruby leaned back on the couch and looked to Penny, who got up from the loveseat and sat next to Ruby on the couch. Her lips were pressed together, her eyes darting along the floor.

“I think she overreacted a tad, don’t you?” asked Winter.

Ruby swallowed back the sudden anger in her veins. She didn’t _want_ to dislike Winter. If Mr. Ironwood and Penny liked her, then she had to have some redeeming qualities, but it was hard to find them when Winter and Yang fought like they just had. Ruby was more loyal to her sister than she was to Mr. Ironwood and Penny.

That was just how family worked.

“No, I really don’t,” said Ruby. “I kind of think you were out of line.”

Winter raised an eyebrow. “ _I_ was out of line? _She_ -”

“Don’t,” said Penny. Winter jumped, eyes going wide at Penny’s sharp tone. Ruby couldn’t help but stare as well. It was rare to see Penny in such a state. “Winter, you upset Yang into outing herself to someone she clearly did not want to.”

Winter protested, “Qrow did the same thing last week.”

“And she did not take it well then, either,” said Penny. She folded her hands in her lap and looked at the picture above Winter’s head. Ruby sat just outside of Penny’s personal space, trying to be comforting without getting in the way. “Winter, you have been nothing but rude to Mr- to _Qrow’s_ family since you arrived, and it is not acceptable behaviour.”

“He hasn’t been nice to me, either,” said Winter, sounding more like a sullen child than a grown woman in Ruby’s ears. “I don’t see why I’m the one getting lectured.”

“My dad has been nothing but nice to you,” said Ruby. She bit her lower lip. “You’re the one who keeps acting like he’s not good enough for you to be around. But he brought you to Christmas and he was nice then, and he’s here now, and he’s never said a bad thing to you.” She was rambling, she knew it, but she couldn’t stop. Today was supposed to be _nice_ and Winter was trying to ruin it.

“He’s not worthy of James,” said Winter. “Whatever tryst they have is meaningless. James can do much better than that… vagabond you call a father.”

“Stop!” protested Ruby, her eyes prickling with tears. Penny rested a hand on Ruby’s shoulder and looked at Winter, her gaze around Winter’s bangs.

“That is enough,” said Penny. “You do not insult someone’s father to their face – especially not when that person loves him.” Penny’s eyes narrowed and Ruby saw the coolness she’d only ever seen before in Mr. Ironwood in Penny’s expression. “Not everyone has your father, Winter. Seeing as you are friends with mine, I thought you would know this.”

Winter twitched, not quite a flinch but close all the same. “James could do much better,” she started again.

“My father is a grown man,” said Penny, firmly. “And he is more than capable of making his own decisions. So long as those decisions are not made for other people, and so long as those decisions do not harm others, I don’t see a reason to protest these decisions.”

“Penny,” started Winter.

“No,” said Penny. Her eyes narrowed. “Qrow Branwen is a good man. Just because you cannot see that doesn’t mean I can’t. Everyone in this neighbourhood likes Mr. Branwen and they have known him for much longer than you have. If you have a problem with their relationship, I suggest you keep it to yourself.”

Ruby stared at Penny, eyes wide. Where had all that come from?

“Frankly,” said Penny, after a moment. “I think you’d do well to be more supportive in general.”

Winter scoffed. “I am plenty supportive, thank you,” she said, voice disbelieving. She threw an arm wide at the pictures that lined the walls. Ruby had seen most of them before. They were pictures of Penny, when she was younger. Her hair was shorter in most, and she was missing her bow in several, but she was always smiling, no matter her age.

“Oh?” asked Ruby. She wanted to hear the end of this.

“Remember when you-” started Winter, but Penny cut her off.

“You shouldn’t finish that sentence,” said Penny. Ruby sucked in a breath. Oh, she sounded exactly like her father in that moment. It was almost frightening. “You have outed enough people today; don’t you think?”

Winter’s eyes went wide and her mouth fell open. “I didn’t realize…”

“You’re lucky Ruby already knows, or else you could have put me in danger,” said Penny. She hugged her knees, finally taking her hand off of Ruby’s shoulder. “I like you, Winter, I really do. But you need to think before you speak and try to be more supportive. I understand you’ve been through a lot, but so has my father and so has Mr. Branwen.” She sighed, soft and forlorn. “You can’t take your problems out on us. You can talk about them, you can try and understand them, but you can’t take it out on everyone else. That just leads to pain and suffering and…” Her gaze went toward the hallway that led to the kitchen. “And a lot of missed time.” Her last words were soft and Ruby rested her hand on Penny’s shoulder now, which made Penny smile at her. “Does that make sense?”

Winter nodded, slow and shaky, but it was a nod all the same. “It does. I’m…” She sighed and brushed her bangs from her eyes. “I’m sorry, Penny.”

“Thank you,” said Penny. “You should apologize to Yang too.”

Winter nodded and got to her feet. “I’ll go do that,” she murmured, and then she left the room.

Once she was gone, Ruby looked at Penny and said, “That was really brave of you, and really smart.”

Penny shrugged. “I try. People need to learn and sometimes I can help.” She smiled at Penny. “Would you like to get snacks?”

“Yes, please,” said Ruby. The two got up and headed into the kitchen, shoulders brushing all the way.

* * *

 

Yang followed Blake out to the back porch with more than a touch of hesitation. She’d hoped, after everything that had gone down during Christmas, that she could keep her own secret, well, a secret, until she knew how Blake would react. Then Winter had riled her up and Yang had spoken freely and now… Yang sighed inwardly, leaning against the back door’s frame and debating if she wanted to step out and talk to Blake.

It was a bitter night, the air sharp enough that Yang wished she’d grabbed her coat before following Blake. Or else grabbed Blake’s coat for her. Blake looked cold, leaning against the railing in her sweater. Her long hair blew in the gentle breeze and Yang watched her for a moment, feeling more like an intruder than a friend.

“Blake?” asked Yang. The softness of her voice broke the silence of the outside.

Blake sighed. “Hey, Yang.”

Hesitantly, Yang crossed the back porch and leaned against the railing, careful to keep a few feet between herself and Blake. “You okay?” asked Yang. It was a stupid question, at best. Blake wouldn’t be out here if she was okay. Blake wouldn’t have run if she was okay.

“I… I don’t know,” said Blake, her voice tiny in the dark expanse of the night. “I really don’t know.”

Yang nodded, biting back her own hurt at the words. She couldn’t blame Blake, not really. But it still hurt, a lot, actually, and Yang had a right to that. One person’s pain didn’t make yours less, after all. Or so Uncle Qrow always said.

“Okay,” said Yang. She kept her breathing steady and let her mind be loud, let it shout where she could not. The fear of Blake’s reaction was still there, especially since she’d taken it so much worse than she’d taken Qrow’s revelation last week. Maybe there was just too much going on at once.

It didn’t help that Ruby had given a non-answer, but that was the way Ruby was. Yang couldn’t hold it against her sister for being honest.

“How can you be fine with…?” Blake trailed off and shook her head. Yang didn’t know how Blake wanted to finish that sentence. Fine with her sexuality or fine with Blake’s reaction? The answer was vastly different. Largely because she _wasn’t_ fine with Blake’s reaction. Not in the least. Even if she could handle it. Sort of, anyway.

Yang didn’t say anything, just stared up at the dark sky and counted the stars as the wind chilled her to the bone.

“I’m sorry,” said Blake, after a minute. “I should be better about this.”

Yang shrugged. “We all have our hang-ups.” Even if this was a particularly _awful_ one to have.

“No, I mean, yes, I mean…” Blake took a deep breath and put her head in her hands. “It’s Adam.”

And it always was, wasn’t it? Yang didn’t know if Blake would ever be free from him. She still didn’t know what Adam had done to her, not beyond the surface, not beyond the start. But Blake had been with him for two years after she’d broken off her story.

Two years was a long time. Long enough, certainly, to break a person entirely.

“Okay,” said Yang.

“How can you be so relaxed about this?” asked Blake, her voice raising in what Yang presumed was frustration. “Why don’t you hate me?”

“Do you want me to?” asked Yang. Blake went silent, pressing her lips together in a thin line. “What do you want from me, Blake?”

Blake faltered, voice cracking as she spoke. “I… I don’t know.”

Yang faced Blake, keeping herself as soft and open as she could. “Neither do I. But I’m your friend, Blake. I want you to like me for who I am. If you can’t…”

“It’s not that,” said Blake, tightly. She clenched her fists at her sides. “It’s…”

The back door slid open. Winter stepped through. “May I speak with you, Yang?” she asked.

“Please,” muttered Blake, and she slid passed Winter and darted into the house.

Yang took a deep breath to force back her frustration. God, she wanted to run after Blake, or yell at Winter, or something. She’d been so close to helping Blake. So close to solving this thing between them. And now it was ripped wide open again with a single sentence.

“What?” asked Yang, a tad sharper than was probably necessary.

Winter shut the door and leaned against it. “I wanted to apologize.” Yang’s eyebrows shot up. _What?_ “My behaviour was completely out of line and I shouldn’t have said what I did.” She pressed her lips together, focusing above Yang instead of on her. It wasn’t like Penny, who did so out of comfort. It was just avoidance. Discomfort. Embarrassment.

“You think?” asked Yang, tone dry.

Winter’s jaw twitched as she ground her teeth. “I’m sorry. What I did was wrong.”

“If Blake forgives me, I’ll forgive you, deal?” asked Yang.

Winter looked over her shoulder, toward the house, where Blake had disappeared. With a quiet sigh, she nodded. “Yes, that’s quite fair,” she said. She looked back at Yang, looking thoughtful. “You care about her a lot, don’t you?”

“Don’t,” said Yang. Winter frowned. “You don’t know me, Winter, don’t try and figure me out. When we actually know each other, properly, then you can ask. Until then? Not your business.”

Winter nodded again. Yang stepped up to her and waited for Winter to step aside before heading back inside. Hopefully the rest of the night would be fine.

* * *

 

As the clock made its final countdown to midnight, Qrow ducked into the kitchen to get more chips for James’ ridiculously complex dip. He hummed to himself as he grabbed the bag, pouring them into the two separate bowls – one for everyone else, and one for Penny, of course.

When Qrow turned to go back into the living room, he saw James standing in the entrance to the kitchen. The other man smiled at him, his gaze soft and warm as he stepped into the kitchen and took the larger bowl from James.

“Ten!” came Yang’s voice from the living room.

“Nine!” came Ruby’s next.

“We should head back out,” murmured Qrow.

“Eight! Seven!” Penny and Ruby in unison.

James hummed and stepped in close to Qrow. “In a second.”

“Six!”

“James?” Qrow raised an eyebrow, curious.

“Five!”

James smiled. “You know what my favourite tradition of New Years is?”

“Four! Three!”

“What?” asked Qrow. He set down his and James’ bowls and looked up at James, who was impossibly close.

“Two!”

“This,” murmured James.

“One! Happy new year!”

And with that, James kissed Qrow soundly, taking Qrow’s chin in one hand to tilt his head up. Qrow groaned quietly into the kiss, leaning up to deepen it. His hands caught the material of James’ turtleneck, pulling him close and, a moment later, they pulled back, both breathless and flushed.

“Happy new year, Qrow,” whispered James.

“Happy new year, Jim,” Qrow whispered back. They stayed like that, for a moment, reveling in the quietness of the kitchen.

* * *

 

“Yang?” Amidst the cheering for the new year, Blake’s voice was almost inaudible, but Yang just made it out. Yang turned and looked at Blake, brow furrowed, across the couch.

“What’s up?” she asked. Ruby and Penny were singing some new years’ song that Yang didn’t recognize. It was pretty, nonetheless, especially with Winter joined in with a surprisingly in-tune rendition of it.

Blake took a visible breath, her entire body moving with it. “I’m sorry,” she said, words barely above a whisper. “I overreacted and I shouldn’t have. It’s… complicated, but you’re my friend. Nothing would change that.” She reached out and took Yang’s hand in her own. Yang ignored the want it sent a pleasant thrill up her arm. “Unless… you don’t want to be friends anymore?”

Yang curled her fingers into Blake’s and smiled. “Of course I want to be friends.” She tilted her head, blowing her bangs out of her eyes. “You’re my best friend, Blake, I’m just glad you’re okay with me.”

“I am,” said Blake. Her gaze went down to their joined hands, and Yang saw something she didn’t quite recognize in Blake’s eyes. Longing? Confusion? Fear? She didn’t know. She only knew that it worried her, that look, and it worried her that she couldn’t place it.

“Let’s make this year the best one yet,” said Yang.

“Yeah!” cheered Ruby and Penny.

Winter nodded. “Indeed.”

Blake smiled at Yang as Uncle Qrow and James came back into the room with chips. “Sounds like a plan,” whispered Blake. She hesitated a moment longer, then drew her hand back from Yang’s. The next few hours were spent watching cheesy 80s movies, but Yang couldn’t focus on them. All she could focus on was the feeling of Blake, leaned against her side, and the quiet, snorting laughter that slipped from her lips.

It was easily one of the best sounds Yang had ever heard. She hoped she’d get to hear more of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are love!


	29. Books, Bars, and Alcohol

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shoutout to the chapter name. I love it.
> 
> I've been waiting to write this chapter for a long time. So glad to finally have it.

The holidays ended and school resumed, creating a new routine that kept everyone mostly busy and mostly out of trouble. Or at least, that was what Dad said when Ruby asked why he was so happy to get them back into school. She had to agree with him though, the holidays had been hard – fun, but hard – and it was nice to get some sense of normalcy back into their lives.

Especially because Blake was officially attending school with everyone. Well, “officially” in that she spent the days at the school and looked at Yang and Ruby’s notes about stuff. They couldn’t actually put her into school as long as Adam was looking for her. Besides, Dad wasn’t her legal guardian and she was under eighteen. Kind of tricky.

Ruby almost wondered if it was a bad idea for Blake to even be at school, but Dad had his interview at the club today and Blake didn’t like to be alone, so she’d come to school with Ruby and Yang and Penny anyway. Ruby liked it better that way. She liked to be around Blake, even if they didn’t get a chance to talk much. Ruby liked Blake. She was smart and quiet and caring, and even if she dealt with a lot, she always tried her hardest. That was part of why Penny and Ruby fought so hard to protect her from some of the looks she got at school – and Ruby was glad she was wearing a turtleneck, or else those looks would be much, much worse.

Everyone was trying to keep Blake safe, actually, because that was what family and friends did for each other. Except Winter. But Winter was kind of a jerk. Ruby figured she probably had a reason for it, but it didn’t change the fact that she was a massive jerk.

Now, it was lunch time, and Blake and Ruby were tucked into the back corner of the library, munching on their lunches while they waited for Yang and Penny – who were getting Penny’s forgotten lunch from Mr. Ironwood.

It was as good a time as any, Ruby thought, to see how Blake was doing after New Years. She hadn’t really had a chance to ask since that day. Everything had happened so fast – Winter and Yang and her Dad and Mr. Ironwood. Ruby had thought, and worried, that Blake had gotten lost in it all, her feelings forgotten while new relationships were made and broken.

“So, uh, Blake,” said Ruby, poking at her cookies. Blake raised an eyebrow, lowering her fork from her salad. Ruby wondered who’d made it. Not Blake, she’d woken up late that morning. Which meant Dad had probably made her lunch alongside Ruby and Yang’s.

She wondered if he’d put one of those little encouraging post-it notes in her lunch like he did in theirs. She hoped so.

“I was wondering about, um,” Ruby nudged her cookies and bit her lower lip, “about New Years.” Ruby saw how quickly Blake tensed; how Blake’s shoulders lifted toward her ears and her hand clenched around her fork; how her jaw worked and her throat bobbed beneath the turtleneck she wore.

“Oh?” Her voice wavered on the singular word, but Ruby pretended not to notice it. As long as she kept cheery and positive, then maybe Blake wouldn’t react badly to her questions. Maybe she could even get some proper answers out of Blake, instead of making her run by accident.

Or that was the hope, anyway.

“Yeah, I mean, you and Yang are, you know, talking and stuff,” said Ruby. She twirled her hair around one finger and looked at Blake through her bangs. “Is… everything okay?”

Blake tapped her fork against the Tupperware and bit her lip, looking away from Ruby. “Everything’s fine, Ruby.”

“Are you sure?” asked Ruby, squinting at her. “You still seem all nervous and tense and stuff.”

Blake sighed and set down her fork, propping her elbows on the table and folding her arms. “Ruby, I said everything’s fine.”

“I’m just asking,” mumbled Ruby. “I don’t want you to feel weird because of my family.”

“Honestly, you’re the one that confuses me,” said Blake.

Ruby cocked her head to one side. “How come?” she asked. She drummed her fingers against the table and watched Blake carefully.

“You’re too _nice,_ ” said Blake, after a moment. “You’re kind and sweet and way too patient and I don’t understand you at all.” She frowned at Ruby, but it was more thoughtful than angry. “No one is this genuinely good.”

Ruby shrugged. “I try to be good. It comes easily for me.” She looked at Blake and frowned. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

Blake nodded. “I’ll be fine.”

Ruby wasn’t sure she believed Blake, but she wasn’t going to press the matter further, not when Blake looked so upset. Maybe she’d ask again another time, when Blake didn’t look on edge.

At the very least, she could keep an eye on her. It was the least she could do.

* * *

 

Qrow fidgeted, tugging at the collar of his shirt as he stared up at the club entrance. Today was the day of his interview. It was a little strange, to be standing in front of a gay club. He hadn’t been in one of these in… fuck, probably fifteen years. It had been just after Ruby had been born, the last time, when he’d been caught up in his head and his dick and he’d just wanted to forgot for a while. So he’d stumbled into a club, drank until he couldn’t think, and found a guy with blond hair and green eyes – not blue, unfortunately.

Needless to say, Qrow had some… complicated feelings about clubs like this. They were good, even if they had some bad memories.

Besides, despite his feelings, he needed the job, and it looked like Junior, the owner, would be willing to hire him. Though, that left Qrow wondering why exactly the guy took Roman’s words so close to heart. Did they know each other? Obviously. But, how?

Taking a deep breath, Qrow stepped into the club, where he was immediately surrounded by the smell of cologne and something uniquely club-smelling – he wasn’t sure he wanted to explore what that smell meant, exactly – as well as low music with heavy bass.

He stuffed his hands in his pockets and swallowed hard, trying to calm the heavy beating of his heart as he headed toward the bar, where a very large man with a beard was cleaning glasses. Qrow figured the guy was probably a bouncer. Maybe he’d know where Junior was.

Qrow shuffled up to the guy, pulling one hand out of his pocket to rub the back of his neck. The big guy looked up at Qrow as he approached, raising an eyebrow.

“Hey, um, I’m looking for Junior? I’ve, uh, got an interview,” said Qrow, looking up at the guy.

The guy cracked a smile and set down the glass and the cloth. “That’d be me. You must be Qrow.” He stuck out his hand to shake and Qrow took it, well aware of how weak his handshake had to feel compared to Junior’s ridiculous grip. “Pleased to meet you.”

“Uh, you too,” said Qrow. He swallowed again, well aware that he wasn’t coming positively. He couldn’t afford to screw this up, but his nerves choked out his ability to think, leaving him scrambling to try and figure out what to say. “So, where’d you want to do this?”

Junior gestured to the bar stool in front of Qrow. “How about right here?” He circled the bar, coming out on the other side. “You’ll be out here anyway, might as well get you used to the bar.”

Qrow gave a quick, shaky nod. He took a seat on the bar stool as Junior took another. Junior pulled a clipboard across the bar and clicked a pen, holding it in his left hand.

“So, uh, what do you need to know?” asked Qrow. He fidgeted, half tempted to sit on his hands just to stop himself from making an even bigger idiot out of himself. God, he wasn’t getting this job. He was wrecking this before it even started.

“First, how about you relax?” said Junior, tone a touch dry. “You’re fine, Qrow. As long as you aren’t secretly a serial killer, I’m giving you this job.”

Qrow perked. “Really?” The word tumbled from his lips, impossibly hopeful, before he could stop it. He winced slightly. “I mean, uh really?” The word was a lot more professional that time, questioning but not overly eager.

Junior smiled at him, looking amused.

“What?” asked Qrow. His words were calm, but he felt a little defensive. It wasn’t his fault he was so nervous. He was _trying._

“Roman’s right,” said Junior, tapping the pencil against the clipboard. He smiled, amusement dancing in his eyes and his tone. “You _are_ cute.”

Qrow flushed, blinking hard. Wait, what? Cute? He wasn’t – hey! “I am not cute,” protested Qrow. “I’m a guy, guy’s aren’t cute.”

“Mm-hm,” said Junior, still looking amused. “How about that interview?”

Qrow pouted and grumbled, “I’m not cute.” But he turned his attention to Junior fully anyway.

“I understand you’re a bartender?” asked Junior. Qrow nodded. “How long have you been certified?”

“About ten years,” said Qrow. “I’ve gone back to get it updated once, about five years ago.”

Junior made a mark on his clipboard. “And you’re… gay?” he guessed, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah,” said Qrow. The word was awkward on his lips. It was rare to properly come out. He hadn’t done it in years, not since he’d first told Summer and Taiyang. Since then, it’d been a more casual thing.  Like with James. “Pretty open about it too.”

Junior nodded and made another mark on his clipboard. “Good. As much as I need good bartenders, I also need them to fit in with the club as well. You understand, right?”

Qrow nodded. “Absolutely. Gotta keep it in the community.”

“Exactly,” said Junior. “Do you have a criminal record? Any outstanding charges?”

“No,” said Qrow. It was one of the weirder parts of his life, that, despite everything, he’d never been convicted. Not that he’d ever really done anything wrong. “Nothing like that.”

“Great,” said Junior. He set down his pen. “You’re hired.”

Qrow blinked. “Seriously?”

“Yeah,” said Junior. He gave Qrow a flat look. “You know I haven’t gotten anyone in three months who can say yes to all three of those questions? Honestly, you’re a blessing.” He flashed Qrow a warm smile. “Besides, you helped Roman, and that puts you in my good books.”

“So,” said Qrow, trying to figure out a way to breach the topic. “You and Roman are…?” He trailed off, hoping Junior would fill in the blanks.

“Something,” said Junior, looking a bit perplexed as he looked at his clipboard. “That’s all you need to know.”

Qrow leaned back in his bar stool and crossed his legs at the ankle. “You have no idea, do you?”

Junior sighed. “No, I really don’t.”

Qrow cracked a smile at that, somewhat wry and a little self-deprecating. “Yeah, I get that. In a bit of the same thing myself, right now.”

Junior shook his head, letting out a soft chuckle. “Can’t just deal with this stuff normally, yeah?”

“Never. Would be too easy,” said Qrow. The door to the club opened behind them and both men turned in unison to see Roman come strolling into the club, the girl he’d been with at the mall before Christmas trailing with him. Qrow cocked an eyebrow and muttered, “Speak of the devil,” under his breath before getting up to greet Roman. “Roman! How you doing?”

“Qrow!” said Roman. He held out his arms and Qrow caught him in a hug, holding him close for a second. “I’m fantastic, you? Did you get the job?” Roman leaned around Qrow to cock an eyebrow at Junior, and Qrow didn’t miss the amused twist to his lips and the mischievous light in his eyes.

“He got it, Ro,” said Junior from behind them. Qrow turned as Roman released him and cracked a smile at Junior, raising an eyebrow. Ro? That was new. Maybe these guys _did_ have something going on. Maybe they just needed to figure it out, just like James and Qrow. He could respect that. “Thanks for the tip. He’ll be fine.”

Roman grinned and folded his arms behind his head, hips wiggling slightly. “’Course. When have I ever let you down, Baby Bear?”

Baby Bear? Qrow’s eyebrows hit his hairline and he turned to look at the girl with dual coloured eyes and hair to match. She shrugged, looking more than a tad amused. Qrow wondered why she didn’t say anything.

Maybe she was just quiet.

“All right, I’ve got work to do. You three can stick around, I’ll be in the back,” said Junior. “Qrow – you start Friday, six o’clock. Don’t be late.”

Qrow gave Junior a salute and followed Roman, and the girl, toward the door.

“So, who’s the kid?” asked Qrow as he, Roman, and the girl stepped out of the club and into the light. “Saw her before at the mall.”

Roman looked at Qrow, cracking a smile. “This is my daughter, Neo.” He patted her on the shoulder. “Say hi, Neo.”

Neo waved and winked at Qrow. It took Qrow a second, but he realized why Neo hadn’t spoken. She couldn’t. That… made a lot of sense, actually. Oops. Joke was on him for assuming, he guessed.

“You were headed to Emerald’s, weren’t you?” Roman asked Neo. She nodded again, fingers flipping around in the air to say something Qrow couldn’t understand. Roman chuckled and ruffled her hair. “All right, see you tonight. Remember to do your homework!” he called after her as she jogged off. Neo turned back long enough to roll her eyes, then she was headed down the street.

Roman shook his head and looked at Qrow, smiling crookedly. “Kids, huh?”

“Yup,” said Qrow, nodding, his own amusement shining through in his smile and his voice. “Can I ask you something, Roman?”

“Sure,” said Roman. He cocked an eyebrow at Qrow. “What’s up?”

Qrow shook his head. “You may be the _gayest_ man I’ve ever met. How the hell do you have a kid?” He cocked an eyebrow at Roman as they walked down the street. Qrow was headed for his car, but he didn’t know where Roman was headed. Probably just following Qrow.

Roman chuckled. “She’s adopted. I’ve had her since she was… probably about six months old.” The two came up to Qrow’s car and Roman leaned his hip against it, smiling at Qrow. “Hey, fatherhood comes in all shapes and sizes, you know?”

Qrow leaned against the car in front of Roman. He thought of Ruby and Yang, who were both at school. He thought of Blake, who was staying close to him. He thought of James and Penny, of Winter, despite her dislike of him, and how she seemed to latch onto James.

Mostly he thought of his own misgivings, of his own self-loathing, of his own hatred and frustration and everything that came with being, well, him.

“Yeah, I guess,” said Qrow.

Roman cocked his head, frowning at Qrow. “What do you mean?”

“I’m not much of a father,” said Qrow. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked away from Roman, staring instead at the concrete ground. “I’m just trying to keep them out of trouble.” He snorted. “Can’t even do that, not really.”

“Hey,” said Roman. He stepped forward and rested a hand on Qrow’s shoulder, shifting so that Qrow had to look Roman in the eye. Usually the two-inch height difference – Roman being the taller of the two – went unnoticed by Qrow. But, right now, the difference was incredibly pronounced, with Roman standing tall while Qrow slouched against a car and tried to make himself disappear into the ground. “That’s what being a father is all about, Qrow. Keeping them out of trouble, loving them like no one else ever will. You don’t have to be blood to do that.”

Qrow looked up at Roman through his bangs, still frowning. “And what about when you screw up?”

“You apologize,” said Roman, firmly. “Then you figure out what you did wrong and you make sure you don’t do it again.” Roman cracked a lopsided smile at him. “Nobody’s perfect, Qrow, least of all parents. You just have to talk to them, figure out what you did, and keep going.”

Qrow sighed. “I don’t exactly have anyone to model what I’m doing on, Roman.”

“Neither do I,” said Roman. “I grew up in group homes, man. Foster care when I was unlucky.” He took his hand off Qrow’s shoulder and shrugged. “You think I knew the first thing about kids when I got Neo? Hell, I’d _just_ been approved to be a foster father, and I’m pretty sure that was a damn fluke in the paperwork anyway.” His mouth twisted into a smile, eyes going fond and faraway all at once. “So I made a lot of mistakes, but I always made sure I talked to Neo and I did everything I could.” Roman stepped back and leaned against the car again. “You can’t protect them from everything. All you can do is be there to hold them up when they need it and pick them back up when they fall. You know?”

Qrow looked at Roman, thinking about the last few months. The way the girls had picked him up over and over again. “You think?” he asked.

“I do,” said Roman, nodding.

“And what about when they’re the ones picking you up instead?” asked Qrow.

“Hey,” said Roman, softly. “That’s why we have families, Qrow. Helping each other, protecting each other, it’s what we do. You don’t have to always be in control. You don’t have to always save the day. So what if they help you? I’m sure you help them just as much, if not more.”

Qrow stared at the ground again. He thought of the hospital, of the girls, of the motorcycle accident. Of Blake and Yang and Ruby. Of Christmas and James and letting Blake into his car. Of every single time he’d stood up for Yang after she’d been expelled back at the old place. How people had argued she was a violent hooligan who needed to spend time behind bars for what she did.

No one believed her when she said it was self-defence. No one believed her when she argued that they’d started it all. Qrow had.

Half the reason they’d moved was because of that. Before the motorcycle accident. The accident and Raven had just been the final nail in the coffin.

“I dunno, Roman,” said Qrow. “I just don’t know.”

“I do,” said Roman, firmly. “You’re a good dad, Qrow, one of the best I know. You’ve just got to trust in yourself once in a while. All right?”

Qrow looked at Roman, and Roman looked at him with such faith and hope that Qrow couldn’t help but believe him, even if a touch of doubt lingered.

“Okay,” said Qrow.

“Great!” said Roman, throwing an arm around Qrow’s shoulders. “Now, come on, lemme buy you lunch.”

With a laugh, Qrow led Roman to his car and the two headed to the vegetarian burrito place down the road. Roman insisted it was amazing. Qrow complained that there was no meat. But it was all in good fun. And it was nice, to enjoy such ridiculous company after a worry filled morning.

* * *

 

James waited until Penny had gone to wait for Mercury outside before he called Winter into the kitchen. He waited, seated at the kitchen table, for Winter to come into the room. When she did, he gestured for her to sit down, still not saying a word. Everything Yang and Penny had told him swarmed in his mind, blocking out most noise as he looked at Winter.

He’d heard what she’d done to Penny and to Yang. To Blake and to Ruby. To Qrow, albeit indirectly. None of it was acceptable. She’d overstepped her boundaries and she’d miss-stepped in James’ house against his _family._

James wasn’t quite sure what to do with her, knowing that.

“Sir?” Winter’s words were shaky and worried, her brow furrowed and her lips pursed.

“I believe you owe Qrow an apology,” said James, after a moment.

The look on Winter’s face more than said what she thought about that idea. James wasn’t sure whether to call it disgust or outright horror, but it hung somewhere around there, telling him that Winter, despite wanting to please him, had no intentions of respecting the man he hoped to call his partner soon.

“Winter,” said James, firmly. “I’m not joking.”

“I don’t see why I should have to,” said Winter, tightly. She clenched her hands in her lap, evident in the bunching of her shoulders as she scowled at James. “He’s…”

“I suggest you think carefully about your next words,” said James, his tone hard.

Winter said nothing, simply pressed her lips into a thin line and looked away. She still sat rail straight. James didn’t think there was a force in the universe that could make Winter slouch. The military tended to train – or beat – that out of you eventually. It made looking her in the eye – or at least at eye level, as she wouldn’t meet his gaze for this – a tad easier.

“Winter, Qrow is a good man. I care a great deal for him and his daughters.” James hesitated on his next words, trying to find a diplomatic way to phrase them. He decided, after a moment, to go with honesty over diplomacy. Winter had more than overstepped with her own lack of diplomacy. “You insulted Qrow to his daughters’ faces and, from what I’ve been told, you also caused Ruby and Yang a great deal of distress. I cannot allow that under my roof, Winter.” He leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. “I may not be a tyrant, but I expect my family to be respected under my roof, and I consider them family.”

Winter gave James a sharp, almost horrified look. “They are not your _family_. They’ve been here for months. You’ve known me for years. You helped _raise_ me! You’re the reason I was able to do what I did in the military – the reason I was able to get out from under my father! _I_ am your family, not these, these…” Her voice rose sharp and high as she spoke, gaining a touch of desperation.

“You almost outed my daughter.” James’ words were hard and left no room for argument. Winter fell silent, sagging like a marionette with its strings suddenly cut. “If Ruby hadn’t known, if Blake had been in the room, you could have put her in a _lot_ of danger.”

Winter looked away, blinking hard. “I’m sorry. I apologized to her, isn’t that what matters?”

“No,” said James. He couldn’t pull the heat from his voice. “Because you shouldn’t have done it to begin with. You _are_ family, Winter, but so are they, and I cannot accept you taking shots at them simply because you’re jealous and insecure.”

“I am _not_ —”

James gave her a sharp look. “Then what are you?” he asked, cutting her off.

Winter said nothing, simply scowled like a sullen child.

“You’re right, I have helped raise you, and I can’t help but wonder where I went wrong to fill you with so much hate,” said James. When Winter said nothing else, simply kept scowling, James sighed and got to his feet. As if on cue, he heard the front door open, and the sounds of Penny and her new friend, Mercury, whom James hadn’t met before, coming into the house. “I suggest you think on this, Winter, because I’m not pleased, and I need to know if you’re willing to change.”

With that, he got to his feet and headed for Penny and Mercury, intent on introducing himself. Worry still churned beneath his skin, but at least he’d gotten things out in the open. He didn’t want Winter to leave, just stop.

He only hoped he’d gotten through to her.

* * *

 

Penny closed the door behind her carefully as she and Mercury stepped into the hallway at the front of her house. She toed off her shoes, lining them up together with the toes against the wall, and waited for Mercury to kick off his own shoes. When he didn’t, Penny looked up at him and frowned, her head tipped to one side.

“Prosthetics,” he mumbled, shrugging. “It’s easier on the legs to keep my shoes on.”

Ah. Of course. How could Penny forget about his legs? He had told her, just before Christmas, about the extent of his prosthetics. It would be rude to have him take off his shoes when they were still walking.

“Please wipe your feet,” said Penny. “Then you may keep your shoes on.”

Mercury flashed her a smile. “Thanks, Penny P.”

“Would you like a refreshment?” asked Penny. She stepped around Mercury, watching to ensure she did not accidentally brush him, and looked toward the kitchen. She could hear her father and Winter talking in soft tones. Perhaps, she thought, it would be wise to wait a minute.

“Yeah,” said Mercury. His voice sounded faraway. Penny looked from the kitchen toward Mercury to see him walk into the living room. He walked strange, not his usual way, due to his prosthetics, but as though he was in a dream. Sometimes Ruby walked that way when she had an idea, though she did not have a slight limp when she did it like Mercury did.

“These all of you?” asked Mercury, gesturing to the pictures in the living room. Penny followed after Mercury to check the pictures he was referring to.

“Yes,” she said. “They are. Most of them are from my childhood.”

Mercury nodded. He still seemed to be in a dreamlike state, and so Penny let him be. It would be rude to pull someone from such deep, intensive thoughts. Many people, like her father and Blake, had their best ideas when they looked like they were dreaming.

There was a long moment of silence, perhaps a minute, and then Mercury, quite abruptly, said, “You’re trans.” It was not a question, but a statement.

Immediately, Penny felt the air leave her lungs. Her tongue felt swollen and clumsy in her mouth and she struggled to speak. How had it been so obvious? Most people saw the pictures and assumed she had been a tomboy when she was a child, not under the impression that she was a boy.

“I… I…” There were no words to explain the situation, no words that would make all of this go away. “I…” She felt her throat start to close up, the tears sting her eyes, the way her knees buckled and her lips trembled and Penny _knew_ she was about to start crying. She hated crying.

She was going to lose her friend.

“Woah, woah, Penny P,” said Mercury. His words were faraway, like he was standing in a tunnel instead of next to her. He did not touch her, but he stepped properly into view. “Hey, I’m not mad. I’m not. I. _Fuck._ ” He yanked his fingers through his hair and shook his head. “Fuck, okay, I’m trans too.” Penny blinked.

What?

“I’m just like you, except, you know, flipped. So when I saw the pictures.” He shrugged. “It seemed obvious to me. I didn’t mean to freak you out. I could’ve… really phrased that better though. I’m … really sorry.” He winced, rubbing the back of his neck. He was blushing, Penny saw, though she wasn’t quite sure why.

Then, everything clicked into place and she fully processed that Mercury had said.

“You… you’re trans too,” said Penny, slowly. Mercury nodded. He didn’t look at her, but that was fine, because Penny was more focused on the stairs behind him than on him. “That’s… that’s _spectacular_!” She leaped forward and caught Mercury by the shoulders, grinning at him. “May I hug you?”

Mercury nodded. “Yeah.” Penny hugged him tightly, throwing her arms around his shoulders and bouncing up onto her toes as she giggled. Mercury’s hands rested on her hips, holding her just as closely.

“You know you can’t tell anyone, right?” asked Mercury, as the two pulled away from each other. “I don’t exactly spread this around.”

“Of course,” said Penny. As if on cue, her father stepped into the room and Penny hesitated when she saw the confusion on his face. Oh dear. She wondered what he was thinking. “Um.”

Mercury released her hips and Penny flashed a smile at him before turning her attention to her father.

“Is everything okay?” asked her father.

Penny nodded quickly. “Of course. Absolutely spectacular.” She beamed at her father and picked up her bag where she’d set it down. “We were simply going upstairs to do homework.”

“Okay,” said her father. He seemed amused, something she only recognized because of how often Mr. Branwen made him sound like that, and Penny knew that was a good thing.

She reached out and caught Mercury’s wrist, tugging him upstairs. “Bye, Dad! We’ll be upstairs.”

“Uh… sure,” said her father. Penny caught the hesitation in his voice, but she shrugged it off. He was probably just tired. People got tired.

She led Mercury up stairs to do homework and play video games. Maybe, if she was lucky, she could talk about stuff with him she couldn’t talk about with Ruby or her father, but even if she couldn’t, it was nice to know she wasn’t alone.

Loneliness was a terrible thing, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are love!


	30. Another Perspective

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A day late, but for good reason. This chapter is 7,000 words long. And also I have the flu, but that's besides the point. (Though it might mean there's some errors. Oops.)
> 
> And I know the last scene might seem odd, and I know a lot of you might not have the same headcanon, but it's been part of this story for twenty chapters now, and it was important for me to talk about it. Maybe you'll understand why, maybe you won't, but it's important to the story all the same, and especially to Penny's plotline.
> 
> Anyway, enjoy.

Blake sat on the curb of the street, her elbows on her knees and her chin propped in her hands as she waited for the school bus to pull up. The late January wind blew at her face, but it couldn’t penetrate the thick coat or hat she wore, nor did it pierce the warm gloves she wore on her hands. Not for the first time, Blake was grateful for Qrow’s help. This was the warmest she’d been during winter since she was probably eight or nine years old. No one else had ever cared as much.

It was strange, gaining what was, essentially, another father, so late in life. She may have only been seventeen, but she felt so much older. Harsh life aged people quickly. It was something Adam used to tell her. It was one of the few things she still agreed with him about.

Though not in the context he’d brought it up in.

Blake’s fingers went to the collar she wore beneath her turtleneck, the neck of which just barely poked out from her coat. She still couldn’t take it off. She didn’t know if she wanted to.

March, she told herself. In March, she would be free. She wondered if she could apply online to go back to school. If online courses were a possibility. It had been a while since she’d been to school. She’d probably be a few years behind people her age.

She sighed, softly, and waited.

A minute later, the bus pulled up and Blake got to her feet, smiling as she stuffed her gloved hands into her coat pockets and waited for her friends to get off the bus.

Yang came first, stepping carefully off the bus, her bag thrown over her good shoulder. Ruby and Penny came next, chattering away about something that Blake couldn’t quite make out. She thought it might have been dinosaurs. It sounded like dinosaurs.

Behind them came two guys who were also chatting about something, and Blake watched as the blond slung his arm around Ruby’s shoulders and ruffled her hair.

She snorted. “Ah, Sun, come on!” she said, swatting at his hands.

The guy, Sun, danced back from Ruby, grinning cheekily at her. “Should’ve worn your hat,” he sang. He danced backward even further, bumping into the blue-haired guy behind him, and laughed. “Right, babe?”

The blue-haired guy turned red, despite his darker skin tone, and mumbled something under his breath, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Aww, look, I embarrassed him,” teased Sun. The bus pulled away and Sun slung an arm around the blue-haired guy’s shoulders, pecking his cheek. “Can’t handle the compliments, _babe_?”

“Sun, please,” said the guy.

Blake stared, eyes going wide as she watched such an open display of affection in public. How the hell could they act like _that_ and not be scared? How could they handle the looks, the questions, the judgement? It was one thing for Qrow, who she’d never seen be affectionate to Mr. Ironwood outside of their respective houses. But out here? At her age? Around people they’d never met?

_How?_

“Oh shit, you’re Blake,” said Sun, as though that explained everything. He pulled his arm from around the guy and shifted away from him. “Sorry, man.”

“Wait,” said Blake, realizing what was going on. God, how much of a reputation did she have amongst Ruby and Yang’s friends? Sun paused. “It’s… fine. Shocking, but… fine. Don’t…” She pinked and ducked her head, tugging at a piece of hair that had slipped from her hat. “You guys are great. Really.”

She looked up through her bangs and saw Sun slip his arm around the waist of the other guy again. “See, Nep? Told you she’d be cool. And you were _worried_.”

“Man, I have two moms, I worry about everything,” said Nep. He flashed a smile at Blake. “Sorry, though, shouldn’t have jumped the gun. Just.” He shrugged. “It’s hard, sometimes. You don’t want your friends’ friends to judge you.”

She definitely understood. “You have two moms?” asked Blake, furrowing her brow. “That’s… different.” Functionally, she supposed, Yang, Ruby, and Penny sort of had two dads. But she didn’t even really _remember_ her mom. She’d been cool, if a little tired, but definitely nice. Her dad was the same way, vague memories of affection and niceties. But adult women didn’t really scare her. Not the same way.

She wondered if they, Nep’s parents, were nice.

“I love them,” said Sun. “They’re basically my moms too, you know.” It wasn’t a question, more like… he was bragging, almost. “Hey, you should come meet them!”

“Um,” said Blake, she leaned back a bit from the force of Sun’s grin.

Nep leaned in front of Sun and held an arm in front of him. “Ignore him, for he knows not what he says.”

Sun rolled his eyes and slid in front of Neptune, grinning as he tossed an arm around Blake’s shoulders and gestured down the street. “They are the most glorious moms in all of… everything, actually. They bake, they work, they love, and most importantly,” Sun grinned at Blake, his arm a strangely comforting warmth against her shoulders. She caught herself leaning into it, despite her confusion about him, “they think _I_ am the greatest candidate for an in-law.”

Blake’s eyebrows shot up. “Don’t you think it’s a little early to be thinking about marriage?” she asked. Was it legal? She thought it might be. She wasn’t sure. She didn’t really keep up with the news.

“Nah,” said Sun. He released her shoulder and grinned at Nep. “Together forever, right, babe?”

Nep smiled back, shy and a little flushed. “Yeah,” he said. “Forever.”

Which was kind of cute, when Blake took a moment to think about it. Maybe a little fast, but the way they spoke to each other, and the way Sun talked, it kind of made sense. Besides, she had a strange feeling that Sun spent most of his time with Nep’s family.

She wondered what his home life was like. What his parents, if he had any, were like.

“So, wanna come over?” asked Sun. Blake looked at Yang, Ruby, and Penny who watched her curiously. Then, her gaze slid down the street, to Penny’s house, to where she knew Winter was right now. Blake sighed and shook her head.

“I’d love to,” she said, “but not today. I need to talk to someone.” She smiled at Sun. “Maybe next week?”

Sun stabbed a finger in her direction. “Holding you to that, Blake-y.” Blake raised an eyebrow at the nickname, but didn’t protest it. She kind of liked having a nickname. It was fun. Especially when it was just a silly play on her name.

“Penny, is it all right if I go speak with Winter?” asked Blake, turning her attention to Penny. Penny nodded.

“Yes, I was going to go play Mario Kart with Ruby and Yang.” Penny pressed her lips together, gaze sliding along the sidewalk before resting on the bump in Blake’s hat. “Please be careful. She hurts other people when she is hurting, and I think she is hurting very much today.”

Blake nodded. “I will,” she said, softly, “thank you.” She waved goodbye to everyone, including the strange pairing of Sun and Nep, and headed down the street to Winter. Today, she thought, she was going to solve this issue between them.

* * *

 

James sipped at his coffee, chatting quietly with Glynda as they watched the kids head up the block. Ren and Nora were already home, having gotten a ride for Bart instead of taking the bus. Glynda had said she trusted them to be home on their own, after all, they were sixteen. But James had caught the worry in her voice.

“You seem to be content,” said Glynda, after a moment of silence. “Are things going well with Qrow?”

James sipped his coffee, feeling his face heat. It had been a while since they’d spoken about Qrow. Most of their late night phone calls had been focused on Penny, or Ren and Nora, or else work. James was working at another prototype drone model for the US government, his basement littered with parts as he tried to piece together his newest idea.

“Yes, they’re… going quite well, I think,” said James. He set down his coffee and smiled down at the table. “We’ve sorted things out.”

“Oh?” asked Glynda. She leaned back in her chair and crossed one leg over the other at the knee. “Do tell.”

James chuckled, the sound soft and warm in his own ears. It amazed him, even now, how even thinking about Qrow could warm him so much. There were still issues, such as their knowledge of each other being largely uneven, but they were working through things. They had time and no pressure, with the knowledge of their feelings out in the open.

“We’re not dating, not yet,” said James. He ran his left index finger around the rim of his glass, glad to be rid of the glove he often wore around the house. He’d torn it earlier that day, moving things in the basement as he put away the Christmas decorations. He’d have to repair it before he could put it back on. “But we sorted things out. There’s a lot going on in our lives, Glynda.”

“So I’ve heard,” said Glynda, drily. She shook her head, glasses sliding down her nose. “Honestly, James, have you ever had a normal relationship?”

James narrowed his eyes and frowned at Glynda. She didn’t mean anything by it, not really, but she also knew the answer to that question. He hadn’t dated since before his accident, out of fear. It had been over a decade and he still worried about the reactions to his prosthetics from time to time. The neighbourhood was accepting, of course, and he’d been pleasantly surprised at Qrow and the girls’ reactions, but that didn’t change the rest of the world.

He was grateful that Qrow didn’t mind. Though he wondered, in that worrying, distant way, if that would hold once they were together. If, once Qrow saw James in a more… _intimate_ context, if that would change. Especially since…

James shook it off. He’d deal with it later. After they’d figured each other out.

“Well, let’s see,” said James. “I lived with a woman and paid her an immense amount of money to carry my child, engaged in some brief stints in gay bars before that, had a one night stand with a man with a voice so low I still sometimes wonder how it was possible, accidentally dated him for almost six months, and then lost my right side.” James gave Glynda a flat look. “Gee, Glynda, I don’t know. Do _you_ think I’ve had a ‘normal relationship?’” He raised an eyebrow.

Glynda’s lips twitched, a smile that was just barely contained, but there all the same. “I suppose not,” she said. She shook her head, pressing her lips together in, what James assumed, was an effort to hide the rest of that smile. “You’re certainly something, James Ironwood.”

“The question is ‘what’,” said James. He sighed, though it was more amused than anything else. “And whether or not that’s a good thing.”

Glynda reached across the table and rested her hand on James’, smiling softly at him. “It’s definitely a good thing. You’re a good man, and a better friend. I can only imagine you’d be an incredible partner.”

Before James could respond, there was a knock at the door. He got to his feet, giving Glynda an apologetic smile, before heading to the door.

When he opened it, he found Blake standing on the other side, her nose red from the cold but her eyes bright with something he could only describe as determination.

“Hi, Mr. Ironwood, is Winter here?” asked Blake.

“She’s in her room,” said James. He stepped aside to let Blake into the house. She flashed him a bright smile and pulled off her coat and boots, setting them on the hooks and mats before tossing her hat into her hood and heading upstairs with a two-fingered salute.

James turned his attention back to Glynda, who had turned in her chair to look at James with a raised eyebrow.

“What was that about?” asked Glynda.

“I… I’m not sure, actually,” said James. He had a few hunches, but nothing concrete. “Now, what were we talking about?”

* * *

 

Blake hesitated outside Winter’s bedroom door, one hand poised to knock. She worried her lower lip, her gaze at the floor as she wondered if this was the best course of action. The last time she’d tried confrontation, it had ended quite badly. She’d nearly gotten herself hurt, ended up giving herself a panic attack, and almost ruined things for Yang and her family.

Was this really what she wanted to do?

The answer was yes, even she knew that. She wanted, desperately, to make things right with Winter. But where to even start?

With a knock, Blake supposed, and she rapped gently at the door. There were a few seconds of silence, then the door opened and Winter stood before Blake, one eyebrow raised and something like fear in her eyes.

“Yes?” asked Winter.

“We need to talk,” said Blake.

With a sigh that Blake thought was more directed at Winter than at herself, Winter stepped aside and allowed Blake into the room, her shoulders tense and her entire body rigid. Blake knew that look well. She’d worn it enough around Yang and Qrow, when they’d first started talking to her.

Blake glanced around the room as she entered, taking note of how barren and impersonal it was. Her own room, back at Qrow’s, had picked up books and trinkets since she’d been there, including her Christmas presents. Ruby had drawn a picture of the four of them – herself, Yang, Ruby, and Qrow – and Blake had pinned it to the wall over her bed.

By contrast, Winter’s room was horribly impersonal. There were no personal effects whatsoever. No pictures, no unfolded clothes, not even a hair tie or a brush. It didn’t seem possible for a room to be so cold, and yet here Blake stood, staring at one.

She took a breath and seated herself on the end of the bed, trying to ignore the wrongness that settled between her ribs as she glanced around the room. There was no way Mr. Ironwood was enforcing her keeping his guest room like this, especially not with the way he looked at her – a way that was very similar to how he looked at Penny. There had to be something else going on.

Was it Winter herself that preferred the room this way, or something in her mind that told her to keep it this way? That told her she’d have to run? Blake’s room hadn’t picked up anything for almost two weeks when she’d arrived, and, even then, it had only been because Ruby started bringing her little trinkets to personalize the place.

Now, it was her home, her sanctuary, and with the house key in her back pocket, she felt like she could conquer the world.

“It’s about New Years,” said Blake, when Winter seated herself at the chair of the barren desk in the room.

Winter nodded. “It seems everyone wishes to chastise me for that night,” she muttered, jaw working as she glanced out the window. It was a clear, sunny day, and, despite the cold, Blake wanted to be outside. She’d always liked the winter sun. There was something cleansing about the mix of cold and light. Something that made her feel like she’d be all right.

“I’m not here to yell at you, more to… understand,” said Blake, slowly. She pressed her lips together and tugged at the cuff of her turtleneck. She wore one of the bows today, this one stating ‘How about no?’ in bold, beautiful calligraphy, and she saw Winter squint at it a few times. “You said some things that night and I want to understand why.”

Winter frowned. “Fine. What do you want to know?”

“Why do you hate Qrow so much?” asked Blake. It was the one thing she hadn’t been able to even grasp. Winter had gotten here around the same time she had, but she’d never seen Qrow do anything harmful to her. He’d been nothing but kind to her, nothing but courteous. He’d tried to be her friend, like he had with Blake, and she couldn’t understand why Winter fought so hard against it.

But she could, in one way, and if that was the way, she knew Winter wouldn’t tell her. Not really. And Blake wouldn’t blame her.

“He’s not worthy of James,” said Winter, folding her hands tightly in her lap. “He’s crass, unruly, and completely overdramatic. Beyond that, his social standing is nowhere near James’, and I can’t help but think he’s taking advantage of James.”

Blake frowned. Or, she thought, maybe Winter was just stuck up.

“Social status doesn’t really matter in relationships anymore,” said Blake. She tugged her bow, thinking about things she shouldn’t think about. She could tell Winter that social status had nothing to do with whether or not a relationship worked. That she didn’t hold it against people with Adam’s money and influence for him. As hard as it was.

She didn’t want to. Winter didn’t deserve the story.

“He’s still unworthy. He and James are from two completely different worlds,” said Winter.

Blake shook her head. “No, they’re not,” she said. Winter narrowed her eyes at Blake, as if daring her to explain why. “And I bet there’s something else there.”

Winter said nothing.

“Winter.”

“He drinks,” said Winter, tightly. He clenched her hands in her lap and stared down at them. “My mother she…” Winter shook her head, cutting herself off. “I don’t like it.” Her voice was soft, frustrated, and thinks suddenly made a lot of sense to Blake.

But she couldn’t explain the drinking, not when she engaged in it herself one night. She knew it was getting better, but she also knew she didn’t know how to explain that. How to talk about it. How to do anything about it. But she could help in other ways.

“You should talk to Mr. Ironwood about that,” said Blake, quietly.

Winter said nothing.

Blake took a breath. “Do you know how I met Qrow?”

Winter shook her head.

“I was running away,” said Blake. Winter’s eyebrows shot up, something worried in her expression. “I needed to get away and I knew if I stayed on the streets I wouldn’t make it. When I saw his car stopped at the streetlight, I didn’t even think about it. I just ran up and begged him to help.” Blake took a deep breath, remembering that night like it was yesterday. God, she still couldn’t believe she’d done that. “For all I knew, he was worse than who I was running from. But he wasn’t. He let me in, turned on the heat, and gave me his phone and his wallet. Told me who he was, where we were going, and kept the car doors unlocked.”

Winter frowned, but said nothing. It occurred to Blake that Winter had no idea why she was staying with the Branwen-Xiao Long-Rose family. They had bonded over both being the victims of trauma and circumstance, but neither knew the other’s story.

“He’s been nothing but kind and careful since the day I met him,” said Blake, flexing her hands in her lap. “When I fell, he was there to climb down and sit next to me until I wanted to get back up again. He bought me clothes but didn’t force them on me, he gave me food without wanting me to do anything for it.” She blinked back tears, her voice tight. “He gave me a room, a home, a _family_ , and to hear you say he’s not _worthy_ of someone he obviously cares so much about…” She trailed off, blinking hard against the tears.

There was a long moment of silence. Then, Winter said, “I didn’t know.”

“I shouldn’t have to explain the entire story for someone to accept why I defend him,” said Blake, tightly. She tugged at her bow, hard. “Qrow Branwen is a good man, and James is one too, from what I’ve seen. And maybe it scared me at first, to see two people so close when I’d been told for so long that it wasn’t allowed, wasn’t _right_ , but…” She swallowed. “People deserve to be happy,” she whispered. “They have a _right_ to be happy.”

Winter said nothing. She stared down at her hands in her lap, something like shame curling around her like a cloak. Blake watched her, her own story done.

“I…” Winter shook her head. “I’m sorry.”

“You should be,” said Blake, but there was no malice in her voice. “I love Qrow.” The words struck Blake like a slap, but she knew they were true even as she said them. She did love him. Like an uncle or a father or something close. “And his daughters are my best friends. I won’t stand to see them hurt, Winter.”

Winter sighed, soft. “I need to apologize to him.”

“Yeah, you do,” said Blake. She got to her feet and crossed the small space between them, holding out a hand to Winter. “But that’s the process, right? You admit you were wrong and you strive to do better.”

Winter smiled up at Blake and took her hand, getting to her feet. “You’re right,” said Winter. “I’ll do that.”

Blake smiled. “I’m glad,” she said. And she was. Winter was her friend, the others were that and her family besides. To have them all getting along? It was the best thing she could hope for and she was glad to see it become a reality.

* * *

 

James laid in bed that night, staring at the ceiling. It was a little after two in the morning. By all accounts, he should have been exhausted, should have been sleeping. He’d been working hard to get his new contract with the company finished up. He was working on the new transport drone, but he wasn’t having much luck. He kept running into a wall when it came to the engine. Not enough room for a fuel cell without making it dangerous.

With a sigh, James turned his head to look at his phone. Since he’d said goodnight to Penny, all the thoughts from the other day had resurfaced, pooling in his mind until he could scarcely think of anything else.

She’d called him ‘Dad’ again, as though it wasn’t a big deal, as though it wasn’t completely devastating to James’ day in the most wonderful and complicated way.

James gave in to the want niggling at the back of his mind. He reached out and grabbed his phone, tapping Qrow’s face on his ‘recent calls’ screen.

The phone rang one, twice, then Qrow’s warm voice flooded his senses.

“Hey, Jim,” said Qrow, sounding far more awake than most people had a right sounding at two in the morning. “Shouldn’t you be asleep?”

“Shouldn’t you?” asked James, though there was no heat in his voice, just gentle amusement.

Qrow chuckled. There was a shuffle and James imagined he was laying down now. “Nah, just got home from work. Bushed, but not asleep yet.”

James smiled. “Guess I picked a good time to call.”

“Guess so,” said Qrow. He chuckled, softly, and James imagined Qrow was smiling into his phone. “You okay? You’re not usually up this late.”

James swallowed and stared up at the ceiling, thinking about that singular word that Penny had called him half a dozen times now, seemingly without noticing. “How did you react the first time Ruby called you ‘Dad’?” he asked.

“Huh?” Qrow was probably furrowing his brow now in that way that always made James want to kiss him. “I guess… I was shocked. But the first time she did it there was more going on, so it only occurred to me later, you know? When she started doing it all the time…” He made a noise between a chuckle and a sigh. “It was strange, and I still don’t know why she does it, but at least I’ve adjusted to it now.”

James hummed, continuing to stare at the ceiling.

“Why?” asked Qrow.

“Penny’s taken to doing the same thing,” said James, his voice impossibly soft. He hoped Qrow could hear him.

“She’s always called you that, hasn’t she?” asked Qrow.

James shook his head, though he knew Qrow couldn’t see it. “No, she called me ‘Father’.”

“What’s the difference?” asked Qrow.

James pressed his lips together. This was the problem, wasn’t it? Most people didn’t _see_ the difference. They simply thought ‘Father’ was a more formal version of ‘Dad’. But it wasn’t. Not for James. Not in the least.

“I was never allowed to call my father ‘Dad’,” said James, softly. “He said it was too informal, too disrespectful, too…” He struggled to find the exact word that his father had used a thousand times before. “Affectionate.”

“Your father sounds like an asshole,” said Qrow.

James sighed. “He was.” And, to be fair, James still wasn’t sure how he felt about feeling _grateful_ that the bastard was dead. More complicated feelings to deal with another time. Or never. Never was good.

He continued, “When Penny was a toddler, she called me Dad, but as she grew older, she changed to ‘Father’ and I never understood _why_. Nothing I did could convince her to change back. Hearing her call me ‘Dad’ after almost thirteen years, knowing that she thinks of me that way, knowing that…” He broke off and swallowed hard, his lower lip trembling and his eyes blurry with tears.

“It’s special, Qrow,” he whispered. “It’s knowing I’ve done right by her, despite everything.”

Qrow said nothing for a long minute, but James could hear his soft breaths in the receiver. He wondered if he’d said the wrong thing. Surely, Qrow could relate. Hadn’t he felt the same when Ruby had changed what she’d called him? James didn’t know. Maybe he’d presumed too much.

“I didn’t know there were words for that feeling,” said Qrow, just as softly as James had spoken, after another minute of silence.

James swung off the bed and got to his feet, stretching in the thin fabric of his t-shirt. His bare feet touched the cool ground, sensors and nerves dictating slight discomfort in tandem.

“There’s a few of them, none of them adequate,” said James, as he padded to the door and opened it, heading down the hallway to Penny’s room. “I want to ask her about it, but I don’t know how.”

Qrow snorted. “Yeah, I haven’t figured out how to talk to Ruby about that either. Just kind of let it slide.”

“Do you think that’s wise?” asked James.

Fabric rustled on the other end of the call and James imagined Qrow had shrugged just then. “What do you do, Jim, confront them? It ain’t gonna work. Both of ‘em are more likely to stop doing it. And maybe I wanted Ruby to stop, before, but now…” He trailed off.

“You like it,” supplied James.

“Yeah,” said Qrow. He chuckled, the sound sheepish and warm all at once. “I do. I love it, actually. Makes me feel like you said, like I’ve done right by them. And maybe I don’t always think I deserve it.”

“But it’s nice to know they think you do,” finished James.

“Precisely,” said Qrow.

James smiled, glad that someone else understood what he was going through. He’d worried he was making mountains out of mole hills, thinking so much about Penny’s word choice. Especially considering she hadn’t seemed to notice what she was doing. James couldn’t help but wonder if she was actually aware of the shift, or if it, like many things, had simply slid into her vocabulary without noticing.

Had Ruby been the catalyst for the change? If so, James might have to buy her another present. Something bigger than her console.

Maybe a bike. A really nice one.

Or a moped. A red one. With a rose decal.

“Thank you,” said James. He rested a hand on Penny’s door, nudging it open to check on her. “I really…” He trailed off, eyes going wide as he realized Penny wasn’t in her bed. He stepped out of the room and frowned, calling, “Penny!” into the house. When he didn’t get a response, James felt his heart lurch.

“James, what’s up?” asked Qrow, his voice crackling.

“Penny’s missing,” said James. Oh god, where had she gone? Was she still in the house? He headed for the stairs to go check on her, stumbling down them. “Can you check with your girls? See if she’s there?”

“Of course,” said Qrow.

James checked the house from top to bottom, only stumbling back to the front door a few minutes later to see that her shoes and coat were missing. Texting. He could text her. Yes. She had to have her phone.

“Girls say they don’t know where she is,” said Qrow. “Where would she have gone?”

James thought about it, forcing himself to think through the panic.

“Jim, breathe,” said Qrow over the phone. “Come on, she’s fine. Just went for a walk. We’re in a safe neighbourhood. She’ll be okay.”

“Yes, yes she will,” said James, as much for his own benefit as Qrow’s. He wished he believed the words more. “She…” He wracked his brain, trying to think of who she’d go to. “Ozpin. He used to babysit her. She might have gone there.”

“So call him,” said Qrow. “And text me when you know where she is. I’ll comb the streets for her if you need me too.”

James nodded, though he knew Qrow couldn’t see it. “Thank you. I’ll call you back as soon as I can.”

“Stay safe, Jim,” said Qrow. James hung up and swiped to his contacts to call Penny. He hoped she’d pick up. God, he hoped she’d pick up.

* * *

 

Penny wasn’t sure what had driven her to get out of bed, put on her coat and boots, and walk up the hill to Ozpin’s house. And yet, here she was, rapping at his door at one o’clock in the morning in the middle of winter, shivering because she’d forgotten her gloves and her hat.

It was unlikely Ozpin would open the door, but Penny had wanted to talk to him. He’d always been supportive of her endeavours, and she had questions that would be better suited to talking to him than to her… dad.

She smiled. She liked that word, ‘Dad’. It was much more personal than ‘Father’. She was glad her dad did not protest it.

The door opened and Penny blinked up at Ozpin. He was wearing a tank top and pyjama pants, displaying his extensive tattoos that wrapped around his arms, shoulders, and collarbone. Penny knew that, when he turned, she would see the beginnings of the back piece he had – a secret garden interspersed with chess pieces. She had spent much of her childhood tracing those shapes, asking Ozpin the secrets of his tattoos.

“Penny, what can I do for you?” asked Ozpin. He stepped aside and gestured for Penny to enter his house. Penny smiled at Ozpin’s shoulder tattoo of a pair of birds in flight and followed him into the house. “This is late for you.”

“But not for you?” asked Penny, tilting her head. She took off her boots and hung up her coat.

Ozpin smiled, eyes twinkling behind his tiny glasses. “Not typically, no. Would you like some hot chocolate?” Penny nodded and followed Ozpin into his kitchen, sitting at one of his bar stools while he made them both some hot chocolate.

“So, what brings you to my humble abode so late this winter night?” asked Ozpin. He didn’t face her, instead stirring the pan with its chocolate, cocoa, and milk. “It’s unlike you to come knocking without calling first.”

“I’m sorry,” said Penny. Her eyes trailed one of the tattoos on his back, a vine that tangled itself with both the black and white kings from a chess set. Most of it was hidden by his shirt, but the tops of the kings and the thorns of the vines were visible.

“It’s quite all right, Penny,” said Ozpin. “I’m simply curious.”

Penny nodded. Her gaze slid down to the counter. She traced her finger around one of the circles in the surface, following the outline over and over and over.

“Do you remember when I told you I was a girl?” asked Penny. She traced the circle, following her finger with her eyes. The cool counter was pleasant against her finger. She kept tracing.

“I do,” said Ozpin. A clink of ceramic, a click of the stove being turned off. Penny kept watching her finger as it traced the circle over and over.

“And do you remember when my… dad,” the word was a little awkward, when spoken to other people, but Ozpin said nothing, so Penny thought she was okay, “told you he was gay?”

“I do,” said Ozpin. He placed a mug down in front of Penny. She nodded slightly, not looking up from her circle, in thanks. Ozpin took a seat on the bar stool on the other side of the island, cradling the mug in both hands. “Has something happened?”

“I don’t know,” said Penny, slowly. “I… I cannot understand something.”

“Perhaps I can help,” said Ozpin.

Penny stopped circling the pattern on the counter and took her hot chocolate. She blew on it three times before taking a little sip. The warm, milky chocolate always made her feel better. It warmed her all the way to her toes. There were three marshmallows in her hot chocolate. She smiled as they bobbed in the liquid.

“If you know how a person would react to something, why would you be scared to tell them?” asked Penny. She chewed on the inside of her cheek. “If… if you know they will be fine with what you have to say, that is.”

“Are we speaking in hypotheticals?” asked Ozpin. “You know my feelings on sexuality well, Penny. Whoever you like is perfectly all right with me.”

Penny looked up, brows furrowed. Her gaze focused on the lotus flower blooming on Ozpin’s collarbone. The pink was a sharp contrast to the green of the leaves and vines that curled away from it, forming the rest of the flower necklace that Ozpin wore as tattoos on his collarbone.

“No, no,” said Penny, “this is not about me. I…” She shrugged. “I don’t know who I like, but that’s all right. Maybe I’ll figure it out someday, or maybe I will never know and simply go from person to person if I choose to date at all.” Her gaze went to her mug. She traced the wet rim with her finger. “I’m not worried about that.”

“Then who are speaking about, if I may ask,” said Ozpin.

“Winter,” said Penny. “I have reason to believe she and my dad share a sexuality, and she never reacted badly to homosexuality before she joined the military. While she is capable of accepting my dad, she seems to have incredibly… adverse reactions to others’ sexualities.” She looked up again, this time her gaze finding the white magnolia flowers that rested near the lotus flower. “Why would she act like this if she were the same?”

Ozpin hummed and sipped his hot chocolate. After a few seconds, he said, “Sometimes, Penny, people are scared of who they are. It doesn’t matter if you share something with them, they fear the reactions of the world at large, and often believe that they are the exception to your acceptance.” Penny frowned, watching her finger run around the rim of the mug. “This… can lead to some very drastic responses.”

“Are we supposed to live in fear of who we are?” asked Penny. Her finger stopped on the rim, the heat rising off the hot chocolate made her hand warm and slightly sweaty. She took her hand off the mug and wiped it on her pyjama pants. “That does not seem like a nice life.”

“No,” agreed Ozpin. “But, for some people, fear and hatred is what they were taught.”

Penny’s gaze came up again, finding Ozpin’s tiny glasses, which had slid down his nose. She knew he often wore regular glasses. She wondered why he wore tiny ones at night. Maybe they were for reading.

“But… why?” asked Penny.

Ozpin sighed. “I don’t know.” Ozpin frowned, and Penny thought the expression looked rather sad. “Penny, have I ever told you how brave I think you are?”

Penny tipped her head to one side, looking at Ozpin’s hands. They were one of the few parts of him that wasn’t tattooed. “No,” she said. “But I do not feel brave.”

“To live – to be – who you are, unashamedly… well, I think that’s very brave,” said Ozpin. “And it is something that many people cannot do.”

Penny frowned. “I do not feel brave,” she said again. “I really do not. I am me. I do not know who else I could be.” She looked up at Ozpin’s glasses again, focusing on them. “Why would I try?”

Ozpin smiled, and this time, Penny knew it was a very sad smile, because she could see the way Ozpin’s eyes crinkled from behind his glasses. She didn’t like sad smiles very much. They always made her sad as well.

“Penny?” Penny knew that tone as well. It was hesitation. She’d heard it many times from her father, as of late, and that made it simple enough to recognize. “May I tell you a secret?”

“Of course,” said Penny. “I won’t tell anyone.”

Ozpin stared at the kitchen counter, just as she had. “I know.” Ozpin’s voice was very quiet. He cleared his throat and swallowed visibly. “There’s a very good reason I think you’re brave and…” Ozpin was silent for a minute. “And it’s because I never had the same courage to be myself.”

“Ozpin?” asked Penny. “Are you… a woman?”

“No,” said Ozpin with a shake of the head. “But I’m not a man either and… I haven’t thought of myself as either for almost eight years now.”

Penny blinked. Ozpin was… non-binary? She believed that was what the word was. It had been a little while since she’d perused the internet for the language. “Oh,” said Penny.

Ozpin sighed. “I’ve never had the courage to tell anyone until just now. You may be the only person in the world who knows.” Ozpin sniffled and Penny saw tears in Ozpin’s eyes. Saw the way Ozpin reached up to rub them away, lower lip trembling. “When you came out to me, several years ago, it was… I thought you were incredible, to be who you were, especially when much of the neighbourhood hasn’t changed since then.”

Penny nodded. She knew, in the back of her mind, that many people on the block knew of her gender, but it was rare to think about, because no one ever said anything. In fact, she had almost forgotten completely that people outside of Ozpin and Glynda knew.

Neptune and Sun did, for instance, but neither one ever said anything, so it was easy to forget. As strange as that might seem.

“Ozpin?” asked Penny. “May I ask you a question?”

Ozpin nodded.

“What are your pronouns?” asked Penny.

Ozpin looked at her, eyes narrowed, and Penny wondered if she hadn’t said something wrong. But, after a minute, Ozpin swallowed and said, “They,” in a broken voice.

“Okay,” said Penny. She reached out and held out her hand to Ozpin. Ozpin – _they_ – took it, and smiled at Penny. She squeezed their fingers together. “I’m sorry you feel as though you can’t tell anyone. But I promise you I won’t either, unless you explicitly tell me to.”

“Perhaps this will be the first step,” murmured Ozpin. They stared at their joined hands. “Thank you, Penny.”

“And thank you,” said Penny. She frowned. “I still do not know why Winter has so much hatred in her heart, but my dad has told me before that not all parents are kind people and I should not assume they are. Perhaps that is why Winter is full of such hatred and anger for herself and others like her.”

Ozpin nodded. “That stands to reason.”

“I should help her,” said Penny. “Learning to love yourself is very hard and I don’t know if she can do it alone. There is nothing wrong with who she is.” She paused, looked at Ozpin, who kept staring at their joined hands, and added, “Or who any of us are.” Ozpin smiled at her. “I should show her that.”

“I think that’s a wonderful idea,” said Ozpin. Ozpin’s words were very soft as they spoke to Penny. But they were not a sad soft, and Penny found she liked this soft much more.

Just then, Penny’s cellphone began to ring in her pyjama pants’ pocket. She took it out, removing her hand from Ozpin’s, and saw it was her dad.

“Hello?” said Penny, answering the phone.

“Penny! Where are you? Are you okay?” Her dad’s voice was very panicked. Penny winced. She had not meant to worry him, she simply needed to go for a walk.

“I’m at Ozpin’s,” said Penny. “We were just talking. I’m sorry to worry you.”

Her dad sighed. “It’s okay. Thank you. Next time could you leave a note at least? Or send me a text?”

“Of course,” said Penny. She didn’t think there would be a next time, but it never hurt to ensure she didn’t upset him again. It wasn’t right to upset people. “I think I would like to come home now. Would you like to meet me?”

“Yes, I would. I’ll see you outside,” said her dad. “Bye, Penny.”

“Goodbye, Dad,” said Penny. She hung up and looked to Ozpin, who watched her. “I think you should tell people in the neighbourhood. They accepted me and I believe they will accept you.” She tipped her head to one side and frowned. “But I also recognize that it is a deeply personal choice and you may not want to. I’ll support you no matter what, however.”

“Thank you, Penny,” said Ozpin.

“And thank you,” said Penny. “You’ve given me a lot to think about.” She frowned, but she was thoughtful, not sad. “I worry about people. Especially when people don’t like themselves.” She sighed. “But I can only help so many people. I will try to help Winter.”

“I think you’ll do wonderful,” said Ozpin.

Penny smiled. “Thank you, Ozpin,” she said again.

“You are very welcome. Now why don’t you head home? It’s very late,” said Ozpin.

Penny nodded and stood up. She left her hot chocolate, still mostly full, behind, and went to put her winter clothes back on. Then she headed out the door and toward her dad, thinking, all the while, about how to help Winter and maybe Ozpin as well.

She liked herself most days. Maybe she could teach other people to do the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are love!


	31. Catching Up with the Past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *sings* _emotional baggage is such a fun thing to discuss in the morning~_

The phone call came unexpectedly in the last few days of January. Qrow had been aware, distantly, that Child Protective Services was going to call, and that they wanted to come visit Qrow and his house to see if everything was fine and safe. However, he’d forgotten the exact timeline and, in the excitement and contentment of the last month, it had completely slipped his mind.

So, when the CPS called that morning, just after Qrow had seen Ruby and Yang off to school and checked in to make sure Blake was okay – she was reading in the living room, wrapped in one of Qrow’s sweaters, which made his heart hurt in a very nice way – he was caught off guard.

“Hello?” asked Qrow, phone pressed to his ear as he tried to remember the protocol for talking to CPS workers.

“Mr. Branwen? Hi, I’m Amber Bailey, I’ve been assigned to your case,” said the perky voice on the other end of the line. Qrow took a breath, forcing himself to stay as perky, and glanced back at the living room.

“Hi, uh…”

“Call me Amber,” she said, before he could stumble.

Qrow cleared his throat. “Amber. Right. Hi, call me Qrow. Uh, are you the one who’s going to come and check out the house?”

“No, I’m going to help you get everything set up,” said Amber, perkily. “My boss will be the one looking over your house. I’ll be doing a preliminary scan and making sure you understand the expectations of the walkthrough. How does that sound?”

Qrow leaned against the kitchen counter, one hand curling against the counter. “Yeah, sounds good,” said Qrow. “Did you have a time in mind?”

“I was hoping to get together in a few weeks, why don’t we plan for the middle of the month? I can call you in a few days and give you a better timeline then,” said Amber. “How’s that?”

“Good, good, thanks Amber,” said Qrow. She gave a cheery goodbye and hung up, allowing Qrow to hang up a moment later. He sighed and looked out to the living room again, where Blake was. He debated going to talk to her, but he figured she was enjoying the peace of the day. He didn’t want to ruin that with making her worry about where she’d hide out when the CPS showed up.

But then, the sooner they got this settled, the less they’d both worry.

With a quiet sigh, Qrow headed into the living room to Blake. He didn’t want to hide anything from her, so he might as well talk to her now.

Qrow stood in the entrance to the living room for a minute, watching Blake read her book. It was strange, to see her in his clothes. Apparently, she’d upgraded from wearing just her own and Yang’s to wearing his as well. He wondered if she would have worn Ruby’s, if Ruby’s would have fit her.

Somehow, he thought the answer might have been yes. It was comforting, to say the least, to see her so ease when only weeks ago she’d still been skittish and terrified of everything in this house – least of all him.

“Blake?” asked Qrow, keeping his voice down. She looked up from her book, brow furrowed, and then sat up, setting down the book so Qrow could sit down next to her.

“Everything okay?” asked Blake.

Qrow nodded. “Yeah, kiddo, everything’s great. Just got a call from CPS is all.” Blake’s eyebrows shot up, fear slipping into her expression along the edges – a downward pull of her mouth, a tightening of her jaw. “It’s fine. I’m gonna get a call in a couple days to sort out when they’ll be here, so you don’t have to worry about anything just yet.” He shrugged. “Besides, if it’s only gonna take a few hours, I could just send you out to the bookstore or something.”

Blake smiled. “I’d like that,” she said. She tugged at the edges of the sweater sleeves. “Sorry to complicate things for you.”

Qrow leaned back on the couch, folding his arms behind his head. “Don’t worry about it, really, I mean it.” He gave Blake a sharp look when she looked like she wanted to protest. She pressed her lips together, but she looked more amused than anything else as she tucked a strand of hair behind on ear. “Look, we’ll figure this out. You got a home here so long as you want one. Remember that.”

Blake smiled at Qrow. “I do.” She tugged at her hair, looking away from Qrow. “Could I… talk to you about something?”

“Sure,” said Qrow. He pulled his arms down and turned to face her properly, tucking one leg under himself in order to still sit on the couch. He rested his hands on his leg. “What’s up?”

Blake bit her lip and tugged at her hair. She still wouldn’t look at Qrow. “Do… am I…” She shook her head. “Do I come off as bigoted?” she asked.

Qrow blinked. Of all the things Blake was going to say, Qrow hadn’t thought that would be one of them. “Uh, no,” he said, after a moment. “Scared, but not bigoted.” He furrowed his brow at her. “Why?”

“Yang and Ruby told one of their friends about me – two of them, actually,” said Blake. She stared into her lap, pressing her lips together. “Sun and Nep?”

“Neptune,” said Qrow. “Yeah, I know them. Good kids.”

“They’re dating,” said Blake. There was no shock in her voice, just confusion.

Qrow chuckled before he could think about it, draping one of his arms over the back of the couch. “Yeah,” he said, “they’re a cute couple.”

Blake said nothing for a long minute. Qrow almost wondered if he’d said the wrong thing, if maybe he’d pushed a little too far despite all the progress they’d made.

But then Blake spoke, she said the furthest thing from what Qrow had expected.

“Qrow?” Blake looked up at him for only a moment, lips pressed together and eyes so full of worry that it nearly choked Qrow. “How did you... when did you realize you were…?”

“Gay?” finished Qrow, raising an eyebrow.

Blake nodded. Her gaze went back to her lap and Qrow pressed his lips together, thinking about what to say next.

“I was probably seventeen,” said Qrow, slowly. “I’d noticed I never had a thing for any of the girls that my sister and my friends hung out with, but I figured I just hadn’t meant the right one yet.”

Blake’s head came up, something in her eyes that Qrow didn’t quite want to parse out yet. It was too much like understanding. Too much like hope.

“Then, there was a guy, just some random guy, and I finally understood what everyone else was talking about.” Qrow shook his head and folded one leg up, resting his arm across his knee. “It was like this whole world I’d been locked out of suddenly made perfect sense.”

Blake said nothing. Qrow wondered if he should keep going, or if he should ask her why she wanted to know. But he had a feeling he already knew. God, did he have a feeling that he already knew the answer to that question.

“So it was… easy?” asked Blake, hesitation in her voice.

“Not in the least,” said Qrow, softly. “I came out of a bad situation – real bad – and I had a lot of shit to work through. But once it was over?” Qrow shook his head. “I mean, it was never really over. There’s always part of you that remembers what people used to say, but you hit a point where it stops mattering. Where you can block it out.”

Blake nodded. “You…” And there was that hesitation again. “Your situation…”

“Parents died, ended up with my uncle and his girlfriend,” said Qrow. “Rednecks and bigots, and not the passive kind. Not a fun way to grow up. My sister and I took off when we were teenagers, but hey,” he shrugged, “shit stings.”

It was funny, almost. He’d known James for so much longer, but he’d never told James this story. Maybe it was because they came from such different backgrounds. Maybe it was because he was worried about being judged. Either way, Qrow knew Blake needed to hear this.

“I may not know all of what you’ve been through, but I know what it’s like to live in fear,” said Qrow. “And I know how hard it can be to accept who you are because of it.”

And there it was, putting all his eggs in one basket, so to speak. If Blake had asked him that for the reason he thought she had, then this would tell him.

Blake took a deep breath, obviously steeling herself for her next question. Then, “Did it make sense to you? At first?”

“What?” asked Qrow.

“You and James.”

_Oh._ Uh. “Not really, no,” said Qrow. He rubbed the back of his neck, a wry smile spreading across his face. “I was scared, confused. I had no idea if he was interested – was pretty sure he was straight, actually. And we both had a lot of missteps and arguments before we figured each other out.”

“But it worked out,” said Blake, sounding more like she was trying to ask a question than make a statement.

“Yeah,” said Qrow, “it did. We’re getting it all figured out. Even if it did take us a bit to get there.” He looked at Blake, working his jaw as he tried to figure out what to say next. “Listen, kid,” he said. “If there’s _anything_ you’re ever not sure about – I’m always here for you. Day or night, all right?” He reached out, hesitantly, and laid his hand on her knee. She didn’t move. “You mean the world to me. Let me help you.”

Blake stared at Qrow with wide, watery eyes and a trembling lip. After a moment, the tears spilled over her eyes and she let out a broken sob. Qrow dropped his leg and held out his arms, letting Blake throw herself against him as she collapsed into shaking, stuttering sobs.

“I’ve got you,” whispered Qrow, stroking her hair. “I’ve got you.”

“I’m just so scared,” she whimpered between sobs.

“That’s okay,” said Qrow into her hair. “But you’re not a freak. You’re just fine. I promise you, Blake, everything you are is just fine.”

The two stayed like that for a while, Qrow holding Blake while she sobbed, and when her sobs finally faded, he heard her whisper something he suspected he was never supposed to hear.

“I miss my brother,” she whispered into his shoulder, “I miss Tukson.”

And, quite suddenly, Qrow had an idea on how to help Blake in a way he never thought he’d get to. But that could wait. Soon, he could bring it up to her. For now, he simply held her while she tried to sort things out in her head. Held her while she battled hatred with her own revelation.

* * *

 

James had been getting the mail in the early afternoon when Yang walked up his driveway. He paused when he saw her, raising an eyebrow as she stuffed her hand into her coat pocket and shuffled toward him. He wondered if the shuffle was her own reluctance, or if he needed to salt the sidewalk and driveway again. Maybe he should just salt the whole block. God knew he could afford it.

“Yang,” said James, as warm and cheerful as ever. “What can I do for you?”

Yang looked over her shoulder and James followed her gaze. Down the block, he saw Ruby and Penny chatting with Ren and Nora as they all walked to Glynda’s house. His phone buzzed in his pocket and he suspected Penny had just sent him a text. It was her buzz tone. He smiled. It was good to see her making so many friends and getting out into the world.

“I just wanted to talk to you about something,” said Yang, shrugging.

James nodded. “Of course, come on inside.” He gestured for Yang to follow him. The two headed up the driveway and into the house, where they shucked their coats and boots before heading into the kitchen.

“Hot chocolate?” asked James.

“Coffee?” offered Yang.

He cracked a smile and nodded, clicking the pot from stand-by back to automatic. Immediately it started percolating again.

Yang sighed and sat at his dining table, drumming her fingers on the wooden surface. James took a seat across from her, trying not to look too intimidating.

“When’d you get your prosthetics?” asked Yang, looking up at James.

James blinked, a little taken aback by the question. It made sense, when he took a second to think about what Yang had said. She was currently short a prosthetic arm after only having it for a few months.

“About twelve years ago,” said James. “And I got them all at once.”

Yang nodded. “Did you get a choice?” she asked, voice a tad tight.

“No,” said James. He shook his head, letting out a soft sigh. “I needed them to survive.”

Yang’s eyes went wide, mouth falling open as she stared at James. He only nodded, waiting for her to regain her composure. It took a minute, but her mouth closed and her eyes lowered, returning her to an expression of mild curiosity and conflict.

“You want to know,” said James. It wasn’t a question, but Yang nodded all the same. With a quiet sigh, James stood, tugging off the sweater over his head to reveal the button-down he wore underneath it. He set the sweater on the counter, glanced at Yang, then undid the first few buttons of the shirt, pulling it aside to reveal the extensive prosthetics that ran right to his breastbone, and the extensive scarring that ran jagged along the rest of his chest.

Yang sucked in a breath. James did his shirt back up but didn’t bother with his sweater. His right hand was exposed, the white and grey stark against the dark wood of the table. He knew part of the prosthetics that had reconstructed bits of his collarbone poked out from the shirt, but even with Yang’s staring, he couldn’t bring himself to mind.

“I never had a choice in my prosthetics. Everything was created as a modular unit. While my leg and arm come off, they don’t do so easily, and I’m meant to wear all of it together,” he said. The words came surprisingly easy, despite the topic. But then, he’d had a long time to work this out, and Yang so obviously needed him right now. “I suspect that while yours were never as extensive, you didn’t get much of a choice either.”

Yang shook her head, looking away from James. There was something confused and curious in her expression.

“Did you ever hate them?” she asked, her voice so soft James almost didn’t hear her.

“For years,” he replied, easily. Yang’s gaze swung back around and she stared at James with a furrowed brow. “I could barely look in the mirror when I first got out of the hospital. It took a long time before I could handle everything.” The words fell closer to a confession now, a touch hushed despite his relaxed body language.

Yang said, “You seem pretty good with it all now.” Half statement, half question.

James smiled. “I am,” he said. “But it took almost a decade, Yang. It’s only been recently that I’ve been able to walk around as exposed as I do.”

“And you still wear the glove some places,” said Yang. She sounded a touch confused, but James suspected that was her mostly trying to parse out her own feelings.

James nodded. “I do,” he said. “But that’s less about my own comfort and more not wanting to draw my attention to himself.” He held up his hand. “I have no qualms about keeping it off at home, or even around the neighbourhood.” He paused, then added, “Although, in the winter, I tend to keep it on for warmth, regardless.”

Yang gave a short, vigorous nod. He thought she’d understand that part.

“But,” said James, “I have no problems with my arm. Everyone in the neighbourhood has seen me in t-shirts. It’s nothing to me.” He tilted his head. “Though, you’re one of the few to see the extent of what happened to my chest.”

Yang’s eyes went wide. “I… I’m flattered,” she choked out.

James shrugged. “I thought you’d understand, hence my lack of hesitation.” She nodded. “Did you come here to find out what happened to me, Yang?” he asked.

“No,” said Yang, slowly. “I guess I’m just… trying to sort things out.”

“Maybe I can help,” said James. He got up when he heard the coffee pot click off. It was simple enough to pour two cups of coffee, and he paused only to ask Yang how she took hers. The answer was ‘two sugars, one cream.’

As he sat back down, sliding Yang’s coffee over to her before cradling his own, he settled in to let Yang speak her piece.

“When I was in my accident,” said Yang, slowly, “my Uncle Qrow was the one who gave the approval for my arm. I didn’t get a choice until it had already been ordered.” She shook her head. “I don’t hold it against him, or anything. The way Ruby told me, it was like the doctors were trying to push the new arm. They acted like it was the only way I’d be able to ‘overcome my trauma.’”

“But?” prompted James, sensing her hesitation.

“But,” started Yang. She sighed and shook her head. “But I don’t think I ever really _got_ to get over it, you know?” She tilted her head as she looked at him and James nodded. He knew that feeling well. “I just went from one thing to another. Physical therapy, prosthetic fittings, arm re-teaching, and I never got to just sit down and just… _process_ what happened to me.” She furrowed her brow, scowling at her coffee.

James hummed quietly.

“Do you get it?” asked Yang, looking back at him with that same half-confused, half-furious expression. “Or am I just being ungrateful?”

“You’re not being ungrateful,” said James, firmly. “Your feelings about this entire situation are completely reasonable and _valid_ , Yang.” Yang’s shoulders relaxed at his words. “I spent the first year and a half after I woke up trying to piece myself back together. It was after that that I was finally able to start healing. You haven’t even been a year out of your accident, have you?”

“It’ll be a year in a couple weeks, actually,” said Yang, softly.

James nodded. “Precisely, you’ve barely had time to process any of this. There’s no harm in being confused or hurt.”

Yang nodded. After a long moment, she said, “I know Uncle Qrow wants to ask me if I want another prosthetic.”

“How do you feel about that?” asked James.

Yang sighed, loud and frustrated. “I don’t know. I just…” She released her coffee and yanked her fingers through her hair, which was drawn back in a ponytail. James wondered who’d done that for her. He suspected, despite Yang’s creativity, that she couldn’t manage it on her own quite yet. “I don’t think I want another one. It’s a lot of money, and a lot of work, and I just…” She rested her hand on the table and sighed again. “I just want to figure out my own head before I try to teach my body the same stupid new things all over again. You know?”

“I understand completely,” said James. He reached across the table with a touch of hesitation, relaxing when Yang met him halfway and laced her fingers with his. “Take all the time you need, Yang. It’s your body. Do what you think is right for you.”

“Thanks,” said Yang, softly. “I don’t think anyone’s actually said that to me.” She sighed and stared down at their joined hands. “I just want to figure out what’s right for _me_ , you know? And if that means not having a right arm ever again…” She shrugged, trailing off.

“You have to figure that out for yourself,” finished James.

“Yeah,” said Yang, nodding. “That’s it exactly.” Her gaze fell on James’ metal hand again, a slight frown marring her features. “Hey, James?”

“Yes?”

“Do you ever wonder…” She shook her head, trailing off. “Do you ever wish you’d gotten a choice, a chance to think about it all?”

James nodded. “All the time,” he replied. “But I also know that it simply wasn’t possible.”

“You could have just gotten your chest and stuff done and not gotten your arm,” said Yang.

“Or my leg,” said James. Yang’s eyes widened again and James gave a small nod. “I know many amputees who choose to live without prosthetics, and I have all the respect in the world for them, and for those who choose to get prosthetics. For me, it was simply never an option. Without my arm or my leg, there would be too much uneven strain on my body, and I never wanted to lose my mobility.”

Yang gave a slow nod. “So for you… it made sense to get them.”

“Precisely,” said James.

Yang sighed and pulled her hand from James’. She propped her chin in her hand. “I don’t know what I want to do.”

“And that’s fine,” said James. “Sometimes you don’t have the answers right away, but there’s no harm in stepping back and waiting to see what you want to do. There’s no rush, Yang.”

She nodded. “Yeah, I guess so.” She looked at him again. “Thanks, Mr. Ironwood.”

“You’re very welcome. Now, how about we have our coffee and you tell me what you know about Mercury Black,” said James. He saw the way her shoulders relaxed at the subject change. He suspected they’d been getting a little too heavy for her.

Yang snorted. “Worried Penny’s got a crush.”

“Only slightly,” admitted James with a wry smile.

Yang laughed and shook her head before launching into her little spiel about the ‘vagabond with bad hair and worse jokes’ that was Mercury Black. All the while, James found himself smiling. It was good to see Yang enjoying herself.

* * *

 

It was late when Qrow got off work, but he didn’t head home right away. He wanted to, but there was something else he wanted more, and that something drove him up the street, passed his house, and to the driveway of James’ home. He parked next to James’ SUV and got out of the car, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he headed up to the door.

Qrow wasn’t sure if James would answer, considering it was almost two in the morning, but the door swung open within a few seconds of knocking, and James answered it, presumably still in his day clothes.

Unless the guy slept in his day clothes. Seemed unlikely though.

“Qrow,” said James, sounding pleasantly surprised. “Come in.” He stepped aside and let Qrow into the house, where Qrow shucked his coat and shoes before following James into the living room. The two sat down together on the couch – apart, despite their recent closeness – and Qrow tucked one of his legs under him.

“I wanted to ask you something,” said Qrow. “About parenting.”

James nodded, one arm draped over the back of the couch. “Is everything okay?”

“You know the bookstore downtown, and the guy who runs it?” asked Qrow. Trepidation clawed at his spine, dancing across his body as he tried to sort out what the hell he was supposed to do.

“Tukson,” said James.

“Yeah,” said Qrow. He scrubbed his fingers through his hair and swore under his breath. “Turns out? He’s Blake’s older brother.”

“ _What?_ ”

“Yeah, ‘bout my reaction,” said Qrow, with a frustrated snort. He leaned back and dragged his fingers through his hair again. “Fuck, Jim, what do I do? I have to tell her – I know I’m gonna tell her.” He’d already decided that earlier. “But what if she runs? What if he doesn’t remember her? What if there’s some other Tukson? I don’t want to get her hopes up and…” He shook his head, breaths coming fast and sharp. “They’re _family_ , but she’s still underage and CPS is looking for her and I don’t know if they’re keeping an eye on him, or even if they know he exists and-”

“Qrow.” James’ voice was firm and warm as he cut Qrow off. He shifted forward a bit, reaching out to Qrow. Without even thinking about it, Qrow crawled across the couch and dropped himself between James’ legs. James sat sideways, leaning against the armrest, while Qrow sat with his back against the back of the couch. He rested his cheek on James’ shoulder and sighed, fingers lacing with James’ left hand as James’ right arm slid around his shoulders.

“I need to tell her,” said Qrow.

“You do,” agreed James, his words murmured in Qrow’s hair. He squeezed Qrow’s hands with his own, his other arm still tight around Qrow’s shoulders. James’ chest was a little firmer than Qrow had suspected, and he had a brief moment of wondering just how far down the prosthetics ran. Especially since his leg felt about the same. “Do you know how?”

“No,” said Qrow. He closed his eyes and sighed. “I hate dealing with child services,” he muttered. “They’ve been on my ass since I was six and I don’t think I’ve ever liked them.”

James’ arm shifted on Qrow. “Six?” echoed James.

“When my parents died,” said Qrow. “CPS took me and my sister to our uncle’s, and we both took off around the time we turned thirteen. They chased us for three years.” He sighed into James’ collarbone beneath the sweater. “Never did catch us.”

“And then the girls,” said James.

“And now, Blake,” finished Qrow. “I’ll tell her. Maybe tomorrow, maybe this weekend, but I’ll tell her.”

James nodded. “I’ll be here if you need me.”

“Thank you,” said Qrow. The two stayed there together for a while, neither one moving, and eventually they fell asleep like that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are love!


	32. Reintroduced

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no regrets whatsoever. Also this chapter is a lot shorter than the last few. But there's a good reason for that.
> 
> Not long now!

Almost a week after Blake’s revelation to Qrow, Qrow finally made his move. Not regarding Blake’s sexuality, no, as that was something only she could deal with, but regarding the other thing she’d said that day: that she had a brother named Tukson.

So, that morning, after Qrow had dropped Ruby, Penny, and Yang off at school, he drove Blake downtown, chatting to her about everything and nothing all at once.

“Where are we going again?” asked Blake during a lull in Qrow’s chatting.

Qrow glanced at Blake out of the corner of his eye. A dozen times now, he’d debated telling her the whole truth: that they were going to see her brother. But Qrow still didn’t know for sure that the Tukson he knew was the Tukson Blake was related to, nor did he know how Blake was going to take seeing him again. He hoped the sign would be enough to determine how she was feeling.

“Bookstore,” said Qrow, hoping his tone didn’t betray his worry. “Wanted to pick up a new book for Ruby by some author named Artemis Green. James recommended them to me.”

Blake nodded, slow and hesitant.

“We can get something for you too, my treat,” said Qrow.

“I-I don’t need anymore books,” said Blake.

Qrow cracked a smile. “Sure you do. You like reading, don’t you?” Blake nodded at his question. Qrow’s smile morphed into a cheeky grin. “Then you need more books! Simple as that.”

Blake’s mouth quirked upward in a soft, hesitant smile. She tucked a strand of hair behind one ear, brushing the bow she wore. Today’s was grey with neon orange puff balls, the text, in bubbly letters, read “Holy Cheese Balls!”. Qrow had already chuckled a couple times at it.

“All right,” she said slowly. “If you’re sure.”

“Very,” said Qrow. He turned one of the last corners to the bookstore and swallowed hard, worry churning in his veins. He still didn’t know how this was going to go, or even if this was the right guy, but he had to try. For all Blake had been through, she deserved one good thing if he could give it to her.

As they rounded the last corner, Qrow glanced back over at Blake to find her fiddling with her new phone. It was one of the Christmas presents James had gotten her – though Qrow was _supposedly_ going to be taking over the bill once his finances were better. He doubted he’d get the chance, though. – and it was a simple thing with a purple case. Blake glued herself to it every day when Yang, Penny, or Ruby were between classes, at lunch, or in free period.

She didn’t look up as Qrow parked, nor as she got out of the car. Qrow figured she was probably on Snapchat, looking at a picture of whatever art project Ruby was working on. Apparently, it had to do with pipe cleaner and origami. Qrow wasn’t sure how that would work, but he was curious to see the final product. Once Ruby wanted to show him, that was.

Blake cracked a smile at her phone as she followed Qrow up the parking lot. She didn’t put her phone down until they were passed the ‘Tukson’s Book Trade’ sign, and Qrow wasn’t sure if he was grateful or not. So much for getting a reaction out of her pre-meeting. He swallowed hard again. No going back now.

He pulled open the door and let Blake step inside first. Tukson wasn’t up front, which, again, Qrow wasn’t sure if he was grateful for or not. Nothing about this entire situation was predictable and Qrow was, frankly, _terrified_ of this whole thing.

Blake drifted toward the fairy tales and Qrow headed toward the fantasy section. He glanced at the back room’s door every few seconds as he scanned the shelves for Artemis Green.

He’d only just pulled a book down from the shelf when the back room’s door opened and Tukson’s clear, warm voice drifted out to the two.

“Welcome to Tukson’s Book Trade, home to every book under the sun.”

A book hit the ground two rows over. _Blake._

“Are you all right?” asked Tukson, coming out from behind the counter. Qrow took five steps forward and turned so he could see Blake and Tukson at the same time. “I can help you with—” Tukson froze, eyes going wide and jaw dropping open in shock. “ _Blake?_ ”

“ _Tukson_.” The sob in Blake’s voice made Qrow’s heart break and he wondered, for one horrible second, if he hadn’t just made a terrible mistake. Then, Blake was stumbling forward and falling into Tukson, who immediately wrapped his arms around her and held her close, his face in her hair.

“Oh my god, it’s really you,” whispered Blake. Tears fell freely down her cheeks as she buried her face in his shoulder. Her own shook with the force of her sobs. “I thought I’d never see you again.”

Qrow stuffed his hands in his pockets and met Tukson’s gaze as the other man raised his head to look at Qrow.

“She’s been staying with me the last couple months, but I only found out you were related last week. Didn’t know what the odds were, but I figured I’d see,” said Qrow. He shrugged and looked away. “Probably not the best way to do this but…”

“Thank you,” said Tukson, his voice so hoarse Qrow scarcely recognized it. “It’s been… It’s been nine years, Qrow, thank you so much.”

Blake lifted her head from Tukson’s shoulder and nodded. “Yeah,” she croaked. “Thank you.”

Qrow pulled one hand out of his pocket and rubbed the back of his neck. “Nah, it’s… it’s fine. Don’t worry about it.” He watched as Blake and Tukson pulled apart, both still smiling waterily at each other. “You want me to go so you can catch up?” he asked.

“No,” said Blake, maybe a little too quickly. Tukson’s brow furrowed and yeah, Qrow should have figured she didn’t want him to leave. Fuck. Sooner or later Tukson would learn that story, but not now. He didn’t think Blake would want to tell him about all that yet.

“All right. How about coffee then?” asked Qrow. He looked at Blake. “Or tea, for you.”

Blake smiled. “Tea sounds great.”

Together, the three headed to the back so Tukson could grab his things, then they left the store, waiting for Tukson to close and lock it behind them. He turned the sign over before he left, marking it as ‘closed early’, and then the three were headed to get tea and catch up with the past nine years.

* * *

 

Ruby and Penny sat together in the living room, watching Winter pace back and forth and back and forth as she waited for Weiss to arrive. She was coming by cab within the next little bit and Winter hadn’t stopped pacing in almost an hour. Ruby was starting to get dizzy watching her.

“Winter, relax, everything is going to be fine,” said Ruby, leaning back on the couch. “I’m sure Weiss is super excited to see you again.”

Winter frowned and hugged herself, pausing in her pacing to give Ruby a flat look. “I am perfectly relaxed, thank you.”

“You are also a terrible liar,” said Penny, playing with her phone. “You should stop trying. It’s not working.”

Winter faltered, mouth dropping open, and Ruby snickered into her hand. She glanced over at Penny’s phone to see she was texting Sun, who had just sent her a picture of Yang and Neptune in an arm wrestle. Yang, despite using her left arm, seemed to have won. Ruby was proud.

“We get that you’re scared, Winter, you don’t have to hide it,” said Ruby. She shrugged, offering Winter a wrinkled-nose smile. “But I know it’s going to go great. You really love Weiss, don’t you?” Winter nodded. “And she wouldn’t have said she’d come if she didn’t love you too, right?” another nod, more hesitant. “See? Everything will be just fine.”

Winter sighed. “I _suppose_ ,” she said, slowly. There was a long moment of silence, then, the doorbell rang.

Winter yelped and jumped at the sound, her eyes going wide as she spun around to stare at the front door with wide, terrified eyes.

“I’ll get it,” said Penny. She set down her phone and got to her feet, heading to the door. Ruby patted her own pockets for her phone but couldn’t find it. Oh well, she must have left it at home that morning. No big deal.

Penny opened the door and a voice Ruby had never heard before rang through the room. “Hi Penny, um… you said Winter was going to be here?”

Winter’s knees actually wobbled as she stumbled forward and came into Weiss’ view. “ _Weiss_.”

“Winter!” From her spot on the couch, Ruby watched as Weiss launched herself across the threshold and threw her arms around Winter, pulling her close. Winter hugged her back just as tightly. “I’m so happy to see you!”

“And I as well,” said Winter, pressing a kiss to Weiss’ hair. “I’ve missed you so much.” The choked back sob in Winter’s voice made Ruby glance away. She felt a little embarrassed being there. After all, it was a private moment between Weiss and Winter, she probably shouldn’t have been there at all, but Winter had wanted the support before Weiss had shown up.

Ruby caught Penny’s attention with a twitch of her head and Penny tip-toed back over to Ruby. The two got up, and Ruby figured they could probably head up to Penny’s room without being noticed. That way, they could leave the two sisters to catch up and do their own thing without interrupting.

“Penny?” Weiss’ voice stopped them both in their tracks. “Thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me. I thought…” Weiss sniffled and wiped her eyes, smiling at Penny. “I thought we’d never see each other again.”

Penny smiled. “You are very welcome, Weiss. I am happy to help.” With that, she caught Ruby’s hand and led her upstairs to her room, where the two shut the door and spent the afternoon reading and sending snapchats to Sun, Neptune, and Yang, who responded with their own.

It was a good day to be them.

* * *

 

Qrow stretched as he came into the house, cracking a smile when Blake scurried past him, glued to her phone again. She was texting Tukson, filling him in on all of her interests after almost four hours of talking. The three had all agreed that Blake staying with Qrow was a good idea for a moment, because the two siblings had a lot to catch up on, but Qrow didn’t know if that would change after Blake turned eighteen.

He didn’t mind either way. He was just glad to that, for once in his life, everything was going fine.

With a happy sigh, Qrow headed into the kitchen. Maybe he’d call James tonight. They could talk, or snuggle, or something. With CPS coming around soon, it wouldn’t be long before Qrow’s self-imposed dating embargo was up and he and James could, hopefully, date without Qrow feeling guilty. He was looking forward to it.

In the kitchen, Qrow spotted Ruby’s phone. He frowned and picked it up, eyes narrowed. Huh. Guess she left it there when she went to Penny’s. He shrugged, ah well, he could still text Penny if he needed Ruby. Or just go down the street.

As Qrow went to set it down, he bumped a button and the screen lit up, revealing a paused song. He didn’t think much of it and set down the phone.

And he only realized he’d accidentally hit ‘play’ when the audio file – which was decidedly _not_ music – filled his kitchen.

_“You’re just like her, you know that? So small, but so brutal. So willing to fight to keep the ones you love safe.”_ Qrow’s blood went cold as his sister’s voice struck his ears. He stumbled and gripped the counter, staring unseeingly at the surface. _“Does that mean she’s like me?”_

_“I don’t know.”_ Ruby’s voice. God, when had they met? What had happened? Was this the day that he’d come home to Ruby being scared and cuddly? The day he’d come home to find the windows in his bedroom locked?

_“I came here seeking answers, child.”_

Raven was in town. Raven knew where he was. Raven had broken into his house and harassed his _daughter._ He swallowed hard against the bile in his throat.

But what about…

_“I never wanted this. I never wanted to leave, all those years ago.”_

_Yang._

Fuck, where was she? Where the hell was she? He shoved off the counter and grabbed his own phone, fumbling it between his hands as he tried to unlock it to call Yang.

He had to call her. He had to call her. He had to _call her._

Please, he thought, please be okay. _Just be okay._

_“I wanted to figure out who I was.”_

_“Through Yang?”_

_“Through Qrow.”_

He got his phone unlocked. Scrolled his contacts. Tapped Yang’s face. Cursed and tried to get the tiny call button to behave. It finally did. The phone started ringing.

_“But he’s not here, and neither is she.”_

She didn’t pick up.

* * *

 

Yang walked home from Sun and Neptune’s, turning to wave to them as they stood on the front porch before turning around and stuffing her hand in her pocket. Her phone was dead or dying, she wasn’t sure, and she just wanted to get home. It was dark and cold and there was supposed to be good dinner tonight. Something about chili or lasagna or something.

She couldn’t quite remember what Dad had said.

Yang blinked as she walked, the thought striking her as hard as the cold.

… _Dad?_ When had she… why was she…? She shook it off. No, it was just from being around Ruby too much. She was starting to wear off on Yang.

But then, why did it feel so right?

Yang shook it off again, or at least tried to, and kept going, trying to keep the thought from her head. It wasn’t working, but she kept trying. Maybe eventually it would and she wouldn’t have to deal with whatever it was that had made her call her uncle ‘Dad’.

But as she walked, she felt a prickle go up the back of her spine. Almost like something, or someone, was watching her. Yang shook her head. She was being ridiculous. They were in a safe neighbourhood away from all the crime in the city. There was no way someone was following her.

Still, she looked over her shoulder, just to be safe.

When she looked back, she yelped and jumped back. Someone stood on the sidewalk in front of her, just outside the glare of the streetlight.

“Who… who are you?” asked Yang, voice trembling. God, she wished her phone wasn’t dead. If it wasn’t, she might have stood a chance.

Maybe she could still run. Maybe…

The figure stepped into the light of the streetlight and Yang gasped, mouth falling open.

“Hello, Yang.”

“… _Mom?_ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are love!


	33. Mirror

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't really know what to say about this one. It's honestly one of my favourite chapters so far. And it took a lot out of me to write it. I hope you all enjoy it.
> 
> And with this chapter, You and Me is officially my longest work on AO3 at over 100,000 words. Thank you everyone who made this possible.

Yang stared at the woman in the light of the streetlamp, unable to process what she’d just said. She knew, just as sure as she knew her own name, that this was her mother. She’d seen pictures, heard her voice, sent emails. But this was the first time they’d come face to face. The first time a screen or a paper or a pencil hadn’t separated them.

“W-what are you doing here?” asked Yang. She took a half-step back, glancing over her shoulder. The lights in the nearby houses were off. No one was close enough to shout to. She didn’t think that Raven – her _mom_ – would hurt her. She knew her, somewhat at least, but being this exposed…

No, she could do this.

“I wanted to see you,” said Raven. She glanced over her own shoulder, toward home, and pressed her lips into a thin line. She looked back to Yang, something in her eyes that Yang couldn’t place. She knew where she’d seen it before though: in a mirror.

“Okay,” said Yang. “We can’t really… go inside.”

“I know.”

Yang watched Raven watch her. Watched the way Raven looked her over, from her mostly covered hair to the loose hanging sleeve of her winter coat to the tiny hoops in her ears. She’d wanted a nose piercing for Christmas. Uncle Qrow had said she should probably get the staples out of her arm before she started adding more metal to her body. They’d both laughed.

“Did you… wanna talk about anything specific?” asked Yang. She pulled her hand from her pocket and rubbed the back of her neck.

“What’s your favourite colour?” asked Raven. Yang blinked. _What?_ That… she hadn’t expected that. But then, Raven didn’t really know much about her. Even with their online talks, it had mostly been about getting through the anger at being left behind, even if Raven had never explained why she’d left. She’d… apologized, if what they’d said could be called apologies. Mostly it had been awkward dancing and school talk until the suggestion to get together.

“Uh…” Yang faltered. “Yellow,” she said, “like the morning sun. But I also really like—”

“Red,” finished Raven in a small voice. “Like his eyes.”

Yang blinked. “Yeah,” she said, quietly. “How did you know that?”

“They’re mine too.”

“Oh.” Yang shifted, swallowed hard.

“Why?”

Yang blinked again. Thought. “I guess… I guess it’s because no matter what happens the sun will always come up. Even if it’s behind clouds or in the shadows, or something, it’s always there and…” She swallowed. “And it’s my hair colour and the colour of mustard.”

“I like mustard,” said Raven.

Yang grinned. “I _love_ mustard. And it’s also the colour of…” She paused. “Of someone I really care about. Her eyes.”

“Yellow was his hair colour,” said Raven. “Before…” She cleared her throat. “And she used to grow sunflowers under the kitchen window. I always saw them in the morning, when I made us coffee.” There was no point in asking what ‘before’ was, or who ‘he’ or ‘she’ were. Yang knew. Just as she knew Raven would know Yang knew.

“And red, like you said, because of his eyes,” said Yang. “They were always there when I needed something.”

“They’d put you back together when nothing else could,” said Raven, softly.

Yang nodded. “Yeah. And it didn’t matter what it did to him, he was there. He’s always there. Even if he doesn’t think he is.”

“Even if he’s convinced he’s doing the wrong thing.”

“Even when everyone else gives up,” finished Yang.

Raven nodded. “Favourite sound?”

Yang thought, a nervous energy thrumming through her even as understanding settled in her bones. It was a stranger question, one she had to think about, but once she realized it, it was easy enough to know why.

“Laughter,” said Yang. “It can mean anything, but I like happy laughter best.” She hesitated. “It’s… it’s Ruby’s I like best. It’s like little bells.”

Raven smiled. It was a tiny, soft thing, but it was there all the same. “Hers was too. I used to hear her laughing at his jokes, or with…” Her eyes shifted, softer than before. “Or with you two.”

Yang could remember that, vaguely but there all the same. A distant smile, warmth, and a flash of silver and yellow. “I think I remember that,” she said, softly. She stuffed her hand in her pocket again and took a breath. “I don’t remember yours.”

“I didn’t laugh a lot, even then,” said Raven, quietly. “The wind chime, on the back porch, it used to play in the mornings. He’d laugh whenever the birds knocked it down, but no matter how many times it was tangled, he never stopped fixing it and putting it back up.”

“Stubborn,” mumbled Yang.

“Caring,” said Raven. “I pretended I hated that thing, but… but I liked how it made him smile.”

“We have a wind chime,” said Yang.

“It’s not the same,” said Raven. “Nothing got out of that house that night.”

“We did,” said Yang.

“I wasn’t there,” said Raven.

Yang replied, “Then where were you?”

Raven said nothing. She didn’t look at Yang. She didn’t look at anything. By the way her eyes and face shifted, Yang knew what was happening. Her face was a mirror of Uncle Qrow’s when he fell into his head. When the bad days got too strong and he was left to fend for himself.

And Raven didn’t even have her and Ruby to pull her out. Maybe she didn’t have anyone.

“He was in love,” said Raven. Yang blinked. She couldn’t tell which ‘he’ they were talking about. “It wouldn’t work, we were, the three of us…” She shook her head, something almost frantic in the gesture. Yang wanted to reach out and put her hand on Raven’s shoulder. She didn’t know if Raven would appreciate it. Didn’t know if she could get away with it. “I was his sister.” _Oh no._ “And we, he and I, we were part of something special with her. But I saw it. I saw how it hurt him.”

Yang swallowed hard, her heart beating loud and insistent in her chest and her blood rushing in her ears.

“I thought I could make him happy. He… he always helped. He kept me…” She shook her head again, fists clenching at her sides. “I wanted to make him _happy_.” There was a desperate shift to her tone that made Yang press her lips together. “I thought if I left, if he wasn’t competing with his own sister, then maybe it would work. Then maybe they could all be something without me.”

“Oh,” whispered Yang.

Raven sighed. It was a soft, frustrated noise and Yang took a step forward. Stepped into the light, not quite within arms’ reach of Raven.

“It didn’t work,” said Raven. “The fire. The house. Everything. Everything _died_. Nothing got out of that house.”

“We did,” said Yang. “Qrow, and Ruby, and I. We got out. Do we not count?”

Raven looked at Yang, mouth opening and closing a few times. “You count,” she said, voice hoarse. “But I never got to say _goodbye._ ” The cracks were showing through, stronger and brighter than Yang’s or Qrow’s ever were. But the signs were the same. The faltering words, the flicker in the eye, the tensing of her shoulders.

Yang took a step forward. Then another when Raven didn’t flinch. She lifted her hand and put it on her shoulder.

“They knew, didn’t they?” she asked.

Raven stared at Yang’s hand, blinking a few times. Slowly, her gaze slid up Yang’s arm, to her shoulder, then up to Yang’s face. A thousand emotions flitted across her face before she settled on something close to what Yang figured her own expression was. Concern mixed with exhaustion mixed with fear.

“Knew what?” asked Raven.

“That you loved them.” Raven was taller than Yang, but in that moment, Yang felt bigger out of the two. Down an arm, down four inches, but still taller, bigger.

Stronger.

Slowly, shakily, Raven nodded, but the furrow of her brow betrayed her before her words did. “I think so.”

“I know so,” said Yang. “They sound like they did.” She hesitated a moment, then spoke up with, “What’s your favourite food?”

Raven blinked, then one side of her mouth twitched upward, just briefly. “Chili.”

Yang’s eyebrows shot up. “He has a recipe,” she said.

“It’s not his,” said Raven. “It’s…” A falter, mouth open as she seemingly struggled to find the words. “It was Taiyang’s.”

Yang broke into a smile. “Yeah?”

Raven nodded, lips pressing together as she seemingly struggled to hide a smile. Or at least, Yang thought it was a smile based on the amusement in Raven’s eyes. “He used to make it too spicy, Summer would cry when she ate it, but it never bothered…” She took a breath. “It never bothered Qrow or I. Summer would water it down when Taiyang wasn’t looking, and we’d all laugh when he pouted about it.”

It was like the floodgates had opened and Raven’s entire expression lit up, hands lifting to move with her words. “Qrow couldn’t handle spice but he pretended he could, he always used to pour it out the window when they weren’t looking. He killed more flowers than Taiyang ever could.”

“Dad killed flowers?” asked Yang, giggling.

Raven nodded. “He used to be terrible. He tried to weed the gardens once and pulled out the _flowers_ instead of the _weeds._ ” Now she actually smiled, bright and a little misty. “Summer used to hug him afterward. He always used to feel useless.”

“They sound like they were amazing,” said Yang. Raven lifted her hand to Yang’s on her shoulder and hesitantly rested them together. Through two layers of gloves, Yang could feel the weight of her hand, a soft comfort amidst the cold winter night.

“They were,” said Raven, softly. “The best there was.” Her eyes went tender and she pressed her lips together. “They made me who I was.”

“What about who you are?” asked Yang.

Raven faltered. Opened and closed her mouth a few times. “I don’t know. That’s why I came to you.”

“You didn’t want to see me?” asked Yang. She went to lift her hand but Raven held fast.

“Of _course_ I wanted to see you,” said Raven, tightly. She looked at Yang with more than a hint of desperation, fear burning in her entire body. Yang swallowed. It was like she was looking at an older, angrier version of herself. The gestures were the same, the expressions were the same, but she wasn’t sure how much of it she got from Raven and how much they both got from Uncle Qrow. “But I never knew how. You were… you were always going to be better than me. I didn’t know if I could handle that.”

Yang frowned. “Why would I be better than you?” asked Yang, slowly.

“You had Summer for a mother and Taiyang for a father. You didn’t spend your childhood with a woman who can barely take care of _herself_ , let alone children,” said Raven, tightly. “And that’s not even counting what happened when you were first born.”

“What happened when I was born?” asked Yang, slowly.

“A lot.”

Yang frowned. The opened floodgates were gone, the words turning to nervous rambling as Raven closed herself back up from Yang. She wondered what she’d said wrong. Or if it wasn’t her at all. Maybe Raven just… didn’t want to tell her. Maybe it was too much too fast.

Maybe she was ashamed.

“I don’t think I’m better than you,” said Yang. She tightened her hold on Raven’s shoulder when she went to step back.

“You barely know me,” said Raven.

Yang scowled. “So, change that,” she said. She stepped forward, hand tightening a little further. Raven frowned. “You’re here. We’re here. Let’s _talk_.”

“And when Qrow finds out?” asked Raven, scowling at Yang. She stepped backward, shrugging off Yang’s hand. “When he tells you I’m a terrible influence and you never should have tried to find me?”

“I won’t listen,” insisted Yang. “You’re here now, that’s what matters, not the past.”

“Of course the past matters!” snapped Raven. “Of course it matters.” Her voice grew hoarse as she spoke. “Because it’s all my fault.”

“No, it’s not,” said Yang. “None of what happened then is your fault. It was just a freak accident.” Dawning realization struck her harder than the cold. “It was just a freak accident,” she repeated, voice hoarse.

“If I hadn’t found out about Qrow’s feelings…”

Yang shook her head. “You had no idea what would happen. What if you’d been in the fire?”

“What if the fire was only there because I wasn’t?”

“What if you being gone is what let us get out?”

“What if I’d never contacted you?”

“What if I’d done something stupid to try and find you?”

“Oh, as opposed to losing your arm in a motorcycle accident trying to come see me?” snapped Raven.

Yang growled. “That was _not_ your fault, and it wasn’t Uncle Qrow’s, or…” She faltered. “Or _mine_.” Her voice cracked, the words choking her but true all the same. “It was an accident. It was a stupid accident on a cold night and I got hit.” She clenched her fist at her side. “No one’s fault except the asshole who hit me, all right?”

“Yang.”

“ _No_ ,” growled Yang. She stabbed a finger at Raven, who took half a step back. “Raven, _Mom_ , if we’re gonna do this, you have to stop acting like the whole world revolves around you. Everything bad doesn’t happen because of you, okay?” Yang sighed. “Sometimes bad things just happen.”

Raven sighed. “He – _Qrow_ – used to say that. When things got bad,” she said, softly.

Yang shivered, the cold biting hard into bones. “Yeah,” she said, quietly. “He still does.”

“You should get home. You look cold,” said Raven.

Yang nodded. Hesitantly, she asked, “Can I… can I call you?”

Raven’s expression flickered from surprised to pleased, with a hint of confusion. “Of course,” she said. She pulled out a napkin from her pocket and a pen and scribbled down her number, handing it to Yang. “Any time you need me.”

“Thanks, Mom,” said Yang, clutching the napkin close. “Um… good night?”

Raven stepped aside. “Good night,” she replied.

Yang walked up the street to the house. She hesitated at the door, looking over her shoulder and down the street to the light she and Raven had stood under.

Raven was gone.

Yang sighed, shoved the napkin into her pocket, and stepped into the house.

* * *

 

Qrow sat with his head in his hands at the kitchen table, his entire mind screaming at him to go get a drink, to go get his stash from the bedroom. It was a physical ache, burning under his skin until he knew nothing else. He closed his eyes against it and took a deep breath.

No matter how hard he wished, the phone would not ring, and with every passing second, Qrow wanted to go up to his room and dig the whiskey out from under his bed all the more.

The front door creaked open, then creaked shut. Qrow raised his head and stared at the opening into the front hall. After a moment, Yang shuffled forward and into view.

“Hey, Uncle Qrow,” said Yang. She rubbed the back of her neck, cheeks flushed either from cold or from embarrassment. “How’s it going?”

Qrow was on his feet in an instant, rushing forward and wrapping Yang in a tight hug. She yelped, but brought her arm around to hug him as well. After taking a deep breath to steady himself, Qrow pulled back and stared at her.

“Where have you been? What happened to your phone? I thought… Ruby’s phone…” He shook his head, head pounding harder and harder. It was late, everything aching, and god he just wanted her to be okay. He swallowed, took a breath, and braced himself. “Your mother is in town.”

“I know.”

Qrow froze, stared, blinked. _What?_ “How?”

“I just talked to her,” said Yang. She looked away from Qrow, not saying a word beyond that. Qrow’s entire world shattered and fell down around him, Raven’s words on Ruby’s phone ringing hard in his ears. She’d spoken to Ruby. She’d spoken to Yang. He hadn’t been able to protect them.

He’d never be able to protect them.

“She… wants to make things right,” said Yang, slowly. She reached out toward Qrow and Qrow stepped back from her, eyes going wide. “Wait, Uncle Qrow, she’s not…”

“You have no idea what she is,” said Qrow, tightly. He clenched his fists at his sides, head pounding in time with his heart. “Or what she’s done.”

“I just talked to her; I think I have a pretty good idea,” said Yang, scowling. She visibly ground her teeth and glared up at Qrow. “If you would just _talk_ to her…”

Qrow snarled. “I have _nothing_ to say to her!” His voice rose to a shout, echoing in the kitchen.

Yang stared up at him, glare shifting to shock.

“You don’t know everything she’s done, you don’t know what she is. _She_ walked out of our lives, _she_ tried to come back and take you away _, she_ is the reason you were in that—”

“Like hell she was!” Yang roared back. “My accident is _not_ a pity party. You are not using it to make me hate Raven – hate _Mom_. Not when I know it wasn’t her fault.” She pressed her lips together, nostrils flaring. “It wasn’t your fault either, you know.”

Qrow jerked back from her, looking away. He ground his teeth, vision spotting. God, he wanted a drink. “That doesn’t change anything.”

“If you believed me, it might,” said Yang. “And she didn’t leave because she hated you guys. She left because…” She faltered, mouth opening and closing a few times. “Uncle Qrow, were you in love with my dad?”

Qrow’s heart hit his ribs, fear and pain spiking through him in equal measures. “That’s… I don’t see how that’s…” He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and pinched the bridge of his nose. “ _She_ told you that, didn’t she?” he asked.

“Her name is Raven,” said Yang, tightly.

“I know what her fucking name is,” snapped Qrow. Yang glared at him, meeting his gaze with more fire than he could ever hope to match. God, if she wasn’t her mother’s child. But no, he couldn’t think like that. Yang and Ruby weren’t Raven’s or Summer’s or… or Tai’s. They were _his_ and no one was going to take that way from him. Not now, not ever again.

“Then why don’t you use it?” Yang snapped back. She twitched, and Qrow knew the twitch. She wanted to fold her arms. But she couldn’t. Because she only had one arm.

Another shortcoming. Another thing he should have been able to stop.

“I’m not dealing with this right now,” said Qrow, shaking his head.

“Then when _are_ you going to deal with it?” asked Yang. She clenched her hand at her side, eyes angrier than Qrow had ever seen them. “Why won’t you just talk to her? Why won’t you talk to _anyone_?”

“Yang…”

“No!” said Yang. “I’m tired of this. I’m not a _child_ , I can make my own choices. You talked all the time about Penny taking initiative when we first got here. Why is it any different when I want to?” she asked. Qrow faltered, unable to find a response. “Precisely,” said Yang, seeing his hesitation. “There isn’t one.” She took a breath. “I have her phone number. I’m gonna keep talking to her. You want me to stop? You’ll have to get rid of me.”

With that, she turned and stalked out of the kitchen, feet heavier than they should have been. She paused at the doorway, hand resting on the jab. “Goodnight, Dad.” Then she was gone.

Qrow pretended he didn’t flinch at the word.

Pretended the whole world wasn’t crashing down around him.

He took one breath. Then another. Then another. Forced himself to keep his breathing even as Yang’s footsteps receded and he heard her bedroom door open and shut.

_Fuck._

He needed a drink.

Taking one last breath to steal himself, Qrow left the kitchen, pivoted left toward the door, stuffed his feet in his shoes, and grabbed his coat off the hook. Then, shoving his hands deep in his pockets, he walked out the door and up the street.

Away from the alcohol under his bed and toward James.

* * *

 

The banging on the door woke James, but he didn’t let it bother him. He yanked on a shirt and headed downstairs, only half aware of the cold beneath his bare feet.

When he opened the door, Qrow immediately stumbled forward and gripped his shirt, burying his face into James’ shoulder. James kicked the door shut carefully and pulled Qrow into his arms, pressing his face into Qrow’s hair.

“Talk to me,” whispered James. “What happened?”

Qrow took a deep, shaky breath against his shoulder and shook his head. “Tell me not to.”

“Not to what?”

 _“Drink,”_ croaked Qrow. James went still, feeling the way Qrow was trembling against him. Gently, he led Qrow to the living room and sat him down on the couch. Qrow let him pull off his coat and shoes, and James hesitated for a moment before he took them both back to the front door.

When he returned to the living room, Qrow had curled himself into the couch, his back pressed into the cushions and his legs drawn up tightly against his chest. With his arms wrapped around his knees and his chin resting on them, he looked absolutely tiny on James’ overstuffed couch.

Hesitantly, James sat down next to Qrow and reached out, resting his right hand on Qrow’s shoulder. Qrow raised his head and looked at James, eyes bloodshot and bleary despite the terror that absolutely cloaked them.

“Do you… want to talk about it?” asked James.

Qrow let out a sharp, bitter laugh. “ _Fuck_ , no.”

James nodded. “Okay,” he said, softly.

“Tell me something nice,” said Qrow, his voice hoarse. “Anything.”

James wracked his mind for things Qrow wouldn’t already know. He didn’t think Qrow much wanted to hear about Winter, and he’d told Qrow a thousand stories about Penny. However, there was _one_ story he could think of, one that might prove a bit more than just cheering Qrow up.

“When I was about six years old,” started James, lifting his arm so Qrow could press himself into James’ side. He tried to hide the tension in his body as Qrow pressed himself to James’ prosthetics. He’d wondered if Qrow had noticed just how extensive they were. Based on the way Qrow’s gaze flicked to his bare right foot, he was slowly starting to put it together.

James cleared his throat. “When I was about six years old, my father went on this several month-long business venture,” said James. “My mom decided that she was going to use the time to teach me as many creative skills she could get her hands on. You’ve seen the robins in my kitchen – I technically can paint them as well, though not with the same skill.” Qrow nodded against his shoulder. “She taught me to sew, to paint, to cook, but my favourite thing she did in those few months was teach me how to sing.”

Qrow chuckled. “You can sing?”

“Sort of,” said James. “She was much better, but I’m… passable. I was better when I was a child.”

Qrow hummed. “You should sing for me sometime.”

“Maybe I will,” said James, softly. He rubbed Qrow’s arm with the arm he had around Qrow’s shoulders. Qrow slowly relaxed against him.

“Your mom sounds like she was amazing,” said Qrow, quietly.

“She was,” said James. He hesitated for a long moment, debating if this was the time or the place. Maybe there would never be a good place for this, maybe there would never be a right time. But he could at least try. “Much better than my father.”

Qrow snorted. “I hear that,” he muttered. “Yours a piece of work too?”

“He was,” said James. They were getting off-topic, away from the story, but he found he didn’t mind. If it helped Qrow, so be it. Besides, he’d been meaning to tell Qrow these things for some time. Though he hadn’t expected it to start tonight. Nor did he know how far it would go. “He died years ago.”

“Mine went down when I was six, same with my mom,” said Qrow. He uncurled himself, cracking a sort of bitter smile. “Good fucking riddance.”

James started, eyes going wide as he looked down at Qrow. Qrow cocked an eyebrow at him.

“What?” asked Qrow. “Dying doesn’t magically make you less of a shitty person, Jim. I’m not gonna pretend my parents weren’t shit just because they’re dead.” He seemed to hesitate, lips pressed together, before continuing with, “You don’t have to pretend your father was any good just because he’s six feet under.”

James faltered, mouth opening and closing a few times, then sighed and looked away from Qrow. It wasn’t that simple. His father had kept him under thumb for so long and sometimes those thoughts still caught him and consumed him on the bad nights. Not that Qrow knew that.

But Qrow didn’t know a lot about him, even after months of knowing each other.

“My father died when I was nineteen,” said James, softly. Qrow fell still against him, tilting his head to look up at James. James settled a bit deeper into the couch and tightened his arm around Qrow, not looking at him as he spoke. Instead, he focused on the window in front of him and the gentle snowfall outside. “I spent _eleven years_ ,” his voice cracked, “with just him. Granted, most of that was just boarding schools and holiday visits but…”

“It didn’t change anything,” said Qrow, softly. “Shitty is shitty, no matter how distant.”

James smiled, soft and sad, despite himself. That was _exactly_ it. “Precisely,” he whispered. He couldn’t quite keep the shakiness out of his voice. “I saw him twice a year, I barely lived there, but his words, his _shadow_ …” James broke off, shaking his head.

“You know,” said Qrow, softly, “I think I’m starting to realize why you and Winchester get along so well.”

James smiled, bitter and angry. “He could have been just as bad, turned Cardin into someone worse that I ever could have been, but instead he _tries_ and…” James shook his head again, throat closing and voice choked with tears. “God, Qrow, I just wish he had tried, just _once_ to…” He took a deep breath. “To know me for me and not what he wanted me to be.”

Qrow rested his cheek on James’ shoulder and rested his hand on James’ right. “You turned out pretty amazing, if you don’t mind me saying,” whispered Qrow.

James rested his cheek on Qrow’s head and hummed. “Thank you,” he said. They both fell silent for a long minute. It wasn’t uncomfortable, no, but safe, relaxing, almost. When James got his voice back, he said, “The day my father died was honestly one of the best days of my life.” It was the first time he’d ever said the words aloud, and hot shame burned through him as he did, but they were true all the same.

“I was too young to give a shit when my parents died, but when my sister and I ran from our uncle and his girlfriend, I think I felt about the same,” said Qrow. He sighed. “Getting out from under shit like that – hatred and bigots and all sorts of shit – it’s hard, but it’s good for you.”

“Indeed,” murmured James. “Although, the best day of my life was something else entirely.”

“Yeah?” asked Qrow.

“The day Penny was born,” said James into Qrow’s hair.

Qrow chuckled against his shoulder. “Yeah, the days Yang and Ruby were born were mine. Forget every other accomplishment I’ve ever done, Jim, those girls are _it._ ”

“They are,” agreed James. He hesitated, mind spinning as he tried to find the words for what else he wanted to say. “When Penny was born, I was terrified that I’d hurt her. I had no real experience with parenthood. My greatest fear in those first few years was turning out just like him.”

Qrow nodded, the gesture soft but there all the same.

“I swore to myself I’d accept Penny no matter how she turned out, that I’d support her through everything,” said James. His clenched his hand into a fist, taking a deep breath. “Through doctors, psychiatrists, and people telling me it was ‘just a phase’, I stood by her. She’s always known who she was and I… I have to respect her for that.” James closed his eyes and let himself focus on the feeling of Qrow’s hair beneath his cheek. “We were lucky this neighbourhood was so accepting.”

“I always wondered about that,” said Qrow, quietly.

James hummed and opened his eyes. He stared at the falling snow outside the bay window. “It’s hard to hate yourself when your daughter falls into similar categories,” he said, voice barely above a whisper.

Qrow nodded. “Yeah,” he said, also at a whisper. “I get that.”

Again, the two fell into comfortable silence. Qrow squeezed James’ hand and James unclenched his right fist, allowing it to rest on his leg loosely.

“Can I ask you something, Jim?” asked Qrow.

“Of course,” said James. He lifted his head from Qrow’s and settled against the couch, tilting his head to look at Qrow.

Qrow laced his fingers with James’ metal ones and squeezed gently. “How’d you get these?”

James closed his eyes against the onslaught of emotions that ripped through him at the simple question. The feeling of Qrow against his metal side was different from the feel of Qrow against his left, but he always tried not to think about it. He tried not to think about much beyond the day to day. The arm was one thing, the rest was something else entirely. Even if _he_ was okay with it, that didn’t change the fear of whether or not a partner would be.

“It was… just over ten years ago, maybe eleven. Penny would have been… four?” He nodded. “Yes, four.” He took a breath. “I’ve worked for Schnee for years, mostly as a freelancer, and while I wasn't in the military for very long, I did a lot of work for them.” He swallowed, mind flashing across half a dozen memories. “I was building an exoskeleton for the military and I was due to go up to the base and showcase it.” He took a deep breath, struggling with the words. Heat, flashes of screaming, searing pain.

Qrow squeezed his hand. The living room refocused. “Take your time.”

“Thank you,” whispered James. Had he ever told this story? Surely, he had. But no, he couldn’t remember telling it. Not in the decade since it had happened. “There was malfunction in the base, one of the… one of the…” Another breath, tears in his eyes. “The propane tanker they were refueling the cafeteria with caught fire. There was an _explosion_ and…” Fire, screaming. People shouting to run. Then, nothing. “I don’t remember most of it.”

Qrow was silent a long minute, when James calmed, he asked, “How’d you survive?”

“Remember Penny’s mother?” asked James.

Qrow nodded, slowly.

“As it turns out, Helium Glitch – or Crystal Polendina, as I knew her – had a genius for a father,” said James. “He was an experimental engineer, and when she heard I was in critical condition…” He trailed off and shrugged, turning his hand over to lace his fingers with Qrow’s, palms together, more tightly. “We were always friends, I guess I never knew until then just how much I meant to her.”

Qrow squeezed his hand a little tighter.

“He took my basic exoskeleton blueprints and combined them with state of the art prosthetics.” He shook his head, licking his lips. “It was touch and go for months, but I survived and… here I am.” He shrugged again, unsure how to finish.

“Yeah, you are,” said Qrow, pressing closer to him. “And you’re pretty damn great too.”

James let out a soft huff, cracking a smile despite himself. “Thanks. You’re uh… pretty great yourself.”

“Some days,” agreed Qrow. He frowned. So did James. They said nothing for a minute. James had wondered if Qrow was scared of him now, or if perhaps Qrow just didn’t know what to say. “Thank you, for telling me,” said Qrow.

James swallowed, relief washing over him. “Thank you,” he whispered back, “for letting me.”

Qrow hummed and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “One more question?”

James nodded. It wasn’t as though he had much left to hide. “Of course.”

“So, uh, you’re pretty extensive, right?” asked Qrow.

“More than you might think,” said James, a touch of bitterness to his voice.

Qrow chuckled, the sound soft and warm, so far from malicious that James couldn’t help but relax. “Think I’ve pieced most of it together.”

“Oh?” asked James, voice going tight.

“Full arm, shoulder included, plus some of your collarbone,” said Qrow. He settled closer to James, if that was even possible. “Your right leg, guessing your hip and part of your torso, based on the give, and probably some of your spine for reinforcement.” He tilted his head to look up at James through his eyelashes. “Sister was a mechanic, I know something about weight distribution.”

James stared, mouth falling open and then closing. “That’s… mostly right.”

“It doesn’t bug me,” said Qrow. “You probably already know that, and I don’t know how much it matters to you, but it doesn’t. S’part of who you are, Jim.”

James cracked a small smile. “I didn’t know that, actually,” he said, “thank you.” He turned his head and pressed a kiss into Qrow’s hair, debating for only a moment if he wanted to push through with this last bit of information. There was everything still to lose, but he wanted to try, he wanted to know. “There’s… one thing you missed, however.”

“Oh?” asked Qrow, voice a lot more casual than James’ had been a minute ago. “What’d I miss?”

James swallowed. “Something a bit more… _intimate.”_

“… _Huh_ ,” said Qrow. James couldn’t place his tone. He swallowed hard, panic seizing his veins and heart pounding hard in his chest.

“I-it’s fully functional,” he stuttered out, “I’ve… tested that much. And I don’t expect you to like it – not that you _need_ to, after all, our relationship hasn’t progressed to that level, but…” He faltered. “I thought you should know,” he finished, lamely.

Qrow hummed and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “I didn’t say it bugged me, Jim,” said Qrow in his ear. “Just another part of who you are.” He took James’ face in one hand and tilted James’ head toward his. Then, their lips met in a soft kiss, and James forgot his worries for a minute.

Qrow shifted, crawling up into his lap and taking James’ face in both hands. He tilted James’ head back so they could kiss properly – and god, if it wasn’t strange for Qrow to be taller than them – and pressed them tight together. Warmth pooled in James’ veins, a contentment lingering there until James found himself floating in it, his hands tight on Qrow’s waist as he kissed him back with everything he had.

“Jim…,” whispered Qrow as he pulled back, and James knew that voice well. Knew exactly what Qrow was asking him for.

“Are you sure?” asked James, his words a murmur against Qrow’s lips.

“Yeah,” whispered Qrow. “Just need to text the girls.”

James nodded and swallowed hard, taking a deep breath. “Go ahead,” he whispered back. Qrow pressed one last kiss to his lips before he pulled out his phone and texted his daughters. After a moment, he tossed the phone next to him and pressed himself back into James, kissing him deeply.

When the two made their way upstairs a few minutes later, there were no words between them, only soft touches, softer smiles, and an overwhelming sense of things, for once, _finally_ going right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are love!


	34. Observations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy. Oh boy. Two chapters after this one.
> 
>  
> 
> _Fuck._

Morning came faster than Qrow expected, and when he opened his eyes that morning he found himself curled against James’ right side, his cheek and arm resting on the cool metal of his prosthetics. Qrow squinted as he lifted his head, yawning with barely a sound, and looked down at James, who slept on peacefully. Qrow smiled, his chest warm and tight, and leaned forward to press a quick kiss to James’ nose.

James’ eyes fluttered open and he furrowed his brow.

“Morning,” whispered Qrow, a slow smile spreading across his face.

James smiled back. “Morning,” he replied, voice hoarse and cracking from sleep. He reached up and ran a hand through Qrow’s hair, eyes half-lidded and a soft sigh slipping from his lips. “Sleep well?”

“Fantastic,” murmured Qrow. He leaned forward and dropped a kiss to James’ lips, humming when James tilted his head to deepen it. When they pulled back, he rested their foreheads together, running one hand down James’ right side. “You?”

“Best in a while,” said James. He tilted his head and Qrow shifted off him to sit up. He stretched, yawning. “Listen, I…” James shook his head and sat up as well, shifting to press his back to the pillows bunched against the headboard.

“What?” asked Qrow. He scooted back over to James and tucked himself against James’ right side, running his fingers down the centre of his chest. “Everything okay?”

“More than okay, actually,” said James, his voice soft. He tilted his head and pressed a kiss to Qrow’s hair. “Would it be too awkward to say ‘thank you’?”

Qrow chuckled, warm and without malice as he rested his cheek on James’ shoulder and wound their fingers together on James’ leg. “Nah,” he said, “but there’s nothing to thank me for, Jim. That was probably one of the best nights of my life.”

James cracked a smile that was more self-deprecating than anything else. Qrow smiled and lifted their joined hands to his mouth, pressing a soft kiss to each of James’ metal knuckles.

“I mean it,” said Qrow, dropping a kiss to James’ thumb. “It was warm,” a kiss, “and sweet,” a kiss, “and… good,” another kiss, “better than anything else before it.”

James flushed and pressed another kiss to Qrow’s hair. “Flatterer.”

“Yeah, doesn’t make it less true though,” said Qrow. On the bedside table beside Qrow, his phone buzzed, indicating he had a new text message. With a quiet sigh, Qrow disentangled himself from James and grabbed his phone, checking his messages. There were a couple, most of them from last night.

One from Ruby saying she’d tell Blake, then a second one asking if he’d be home before they went out shopping today with Glynda – he’d forgotten about that. Whoops. Glynda was taking Yang and Ruby shopping for Blake’s birthday. – and the last one was from Blake asking what had happened between him and Yang. Even through text he could tell she was worried and he sent off a reply to her first.

_“Just a fight. Sorry about the noise. We’ll sort it out soon. Promise it has nothing to do with you,”_ he wrote, sending it off. Then, he flicked back to Ruby’s texts and sent off, _“Probably won’t be home before you leave for the day. Love you both lots. Stay safe.”_

A moment later, Ruby replied with, _“Love you too, Dad! We’re gonna get Blake awesome presents.”_

It was still early to be buying them, what with it being the first day of February, but Qrow knew Ruby and Yang both wanted to be prepared for whatever they ended up doing for her birthday.

He wondered if he shouldn’t have given them more money than he had, but he knew James had not-so-secretly snuck them both present money, and Glynda probably would as well. He would have called the girls spoiled, but seeing as they were spending it all to buy presents for a friend, he couldn’t really be bothered too much by it.

“We should probably head downstairs,” said Qrow. He looked over at James, who frowned at the sheets. “Unless you want me to hide up here until the girls are gone?” By the time of day – a little after nine – he figured that Winter and Penny were both up and probably in the kitchen.

“No,” said James, eyes going wide and voice sharp in the quiet of the room. “No, I… I don’t want you to hide.” He glanced at Qrow, eyes sliding down to Qrow’s stomach and a flush working itself across his cheeks, splattering his jaw and throat. “You should shower.”

Qrow glanced down and realized what James meant. He chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, I should. Bathroom?”

“End of the hall, you know where it is,” said James. He glanced down at himself and grimaced. “I should probably clean up as well.”

Qrow grinned and got to his feet, stretching in all his naked glory. He didn’t miss the way James’ gaze swept across his body, nor the way James’ Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. Qrow winked at him and James rolled his eyes, climbing out of bed and digging around for his pants.

“You could always take a picture,” quipped Qrow, “it’ll last longer.”

James turned and fixed Qrow with a surprisingly cheeky smile. “If everything works out, this won’t be the last time I see you like this,” he replied.

Qrow’s chest went warm and he lost his breath for a moment. James was echoing a sentiment Qrow hadn’t dared bring voice to, for fear of scaring James off, but now, thinking about it, it made perfect sense. Qrow had seen James in a way he now knew no one else had and, more than that, after last night, Qrow now realized that this, what had transpired between them last night? It meant James didn’t plan on going anywhere.

And Qrow didn’t either.

Qrow stepped forward, circling the bed, and cupped James’ face. He pulled them together into a warm kiss and hummed into it, pulling back a moment later.

“Shower,” said James, nudging him with a smile.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m going,” said Qrow. With a roll of his eyes, he snagged a towel, his clothes, and James’ bathrobe to pull on, then, in the bathrobe, he scooted across the hall and into the bathroom to shower.

He didn’t take long, staying under the hot water long enough to wash his hair and clean himself off. But even that brief amount of time was enough to realize how unnecessarily _extravagant_ this shower was. Two different shower heads – one from the ceiling and one from the wall – more knobs than he knew what to do with (he was fine with two in every sense of the term, thank you), and a ridiculous amount of soaps and shampoos.

The many soaps and shampoos in the shower consisted of a flowery looking set that was probably Winter’s, a set with dinosaurs on it that was probably Penny’s, and a woodsy, pine smelling one that was most definitely James’. Qrow chose that one, trying not to think too closely about the warmth in his chest and in his cheeks as the smell of James descended around him in the hot, enclosed space.

When he climbed out of the shower, he put his clothes from yesterday back on and took a moment to run some toothpaste over his teeth with his finger and fluff his hair with his hands. That done, Qrow winked at the mirror and headed out of the bathroom and downstairs.

He’d been right, Winter and Penny were both sitting at the kitchen table when Qrow came downstairs. Penny was reading a book and, by the cover, Qrow recognized it as one of Artemis Green’s newest works, while Winter was sipping coffee and squinting at her phone like it held the secrets of the universe.

“Morning,” quipped Qrow, flashing a smile at Penny when she looked up at him.

“Hello, Mr. Branwen!” said Penny in her usual cheery voice. “Did you have a sleepover with my dad?”

Winter choked on her coffee, a flush working its way into her ears. “You spent the _night_?” The sharpness of her voice should have made Qrow embarrassed, but, in reality, it just made him want to grin and slide up next to James and kiss him more. He settled for standing next to James and leaning against the counter, hands pressed against the edge.

“Yeah, I did,” said Qrow. “We got talking last night and figured I should stick around so we could finish our _conversation_.” He gave James a smirk out of the corner of his mouth and James’ ears turned red. He sipped his coffee, probably to hide it, and nudged Qrow with his shoulder.

“Does this mean you two are dating?” asked Penny. She turned the page on her book and set her bookmark in place. Then, grabbing her spoon, she poked at her breakfast cereal with a little smile.

“Uh, not quite,” said Qrow, looking at James. He nodded in agreement. “I’ve still got some stuff to sort out with my kids before I can date without gettin’ worried about them.”

Penny nodded. “That is understandable,” she said. Then, she added, “However, you should also make sure you’re happy, Mr. Branwen. It’s important to be happy.” She looked up, eyes focusing on the robins over Qrow’s left shoulder. “Are you happy?”

Qrow blinked, leaning back against the counter with wide eyes. After a moment, he looked at James, who watched him curiously, then, he nodded. “Yeah,” he said, turning his attention back to Penny. “I’m really happy, kid.”

“Good, people should be happy,” said Penny. With that, she picked up her book and her cereal bowl and left the kitchen, heading upstairs to her room. Once the quiet sound of her door clicking shut sounded, Winter rounded on Qrow and James.

“Tell me you two didn’t…” She made a face and shook her head, bringing up one hand to pinch the bridge of her nose. “Never mind, I don’t want to know.” She sighed and set down her coffee next to her tablet. “Should I even _ask_ who the instigator was in this case?” She gave Qrow a flat look, eyes filled with so much loathing that Qrow bristled without conscious thought.

“Winter,” started James, his voice soft, “enough. Qrow and I are happy together, isn’t that enough?”

Winter rolled her eyes but said nothing, which was still a vast improvement over her precious encounters with Qrow. Still, he sighed and pulled his arms from the counter, folding them loosely across his chest.

“Look, Ice—” He stopped himself short and corrected. “Winter.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “I’ve got a few ideas on why you dislike me so much, but we really need to stop this. Jim said you were gonna give his judgement a chance and I’m not seeing it.”

“I’m giving it a chance, I just don’t see the appeal,” said Winter.

Qrow cocked an eyebrow. Yeah, he had a few ideas as to why, but he wasn’t about to tell them to Winter. Too rude, too personal, too invasive. It wasn’t his right. “Look, kid, I’m not perfect. I don’t claim to be anywhere near it and honestly?” He shrugged. “I’m probably the farthest thing from it, all right? But you,” he unfolded one arm to stab a finger at her, “need to stop putting Jim on a pedestal.”

“His name is _James_ ,” said Winter, tightly.

“Not in this context it’s not,” said Qrow. He sighed. “I get it, I’m below him, by a lot, and I dunno what it is that makes you think he’s some god, but I’m not going to question it. That’s your business.” Winter scowled. Qrow ignored it. “But he’s not, and I’m not, and trying to build one of us up as perfect is only going to end badly. I l— _care_ about Ji— _James_ , all right?” He raised both eyebrows. “He’s kind, patient, a fantastic father, one of the smartest men I know, and he’s so selfless and giving that I’m pretty sure it’s unhealthy, but whatever, he makes it work.”

At his side, James pressed his lips together, cheeks slowly turning red. Qrow didn’t know what to make of it.

“And maybe I’m not worthy of him, god knows I don’t know _what_ I’m worthy of these days,” said Qrow. He took a breath. Saw James give him a sharp look and shook it off because _damn it_ , this wasn’t about him. “ _But_ , I’m not going anywhere, and I don’t think you are either, so you either have to tell me why you don’t like me, or you gotta deal with it on your own.”

He looked at Winter, watching the way her face flitted across a dozen different emotions. Anger, frustration, hurt, and then, reluctance.

“You’re a redneck,” said Winter.

Qrow sighed. “Raised by them, but not one. Furthest from, actually.” He cocked an eyebrow. “Not really in the cards for me to be a dick.” He paused, then added. “Not in that way, anyway.”

“You’re callous,” said Winter, clenching her hands harder.

“You’re right,” said Qrow. Winter’s head snapped up and her eyes went wide. Qrow imagined her thought process looked something along the lines of a very large ‘What?’ at the moment. “I’m sorry. I haven’t been that fair to you since I realized you disliked me. I’ll be better. You don’t deserve to be snapped at just because you’re scared.”

Winter’s eyes narrowed. “I am _not_ —”

“Winter.” James’ voice was soft, but it calmed her and silenced her all the same.

She sighed. “What about Penny? Do you know…? I mean, it’s not my business, but if you _hurt_ her...”

Qrow cocked an eyebrow. Ah, this part. He’d wondered when this would come up. “You mean that she’s trans?” he asked.

Winter did a double-take. “You _know_?” she asked.

Qrow nodded and unfolded his arms, shoving his thumbs into his pockets. “Figured it out a while ago,” he confessed. With a shrug, he added, “Never saw a good way to bring it up, and it wasn’t my business and it didn’t change anything, so I didn’t.” He tilted his head to one side and frowned. “Should probably ask her if she’s okay with me knowing. Not like I figured it out in some creepy way, just the way Ruby and Yang talked about her sometimes.” Another shrug.

“I thought as much, when you didn’t react to me talking about her last night,” said James, softly.

Qrow nodded. “I figured that was what that was about,” he said. “Not much else it could have been.” He turned to Winter. “But that’s not it, there’s something specifically about _me_ you don’t like. You gonna tell me what it is?” he asked.

Winter sighed, hesitated, took a breath and visibly steeled herself. “Drinking,” said Winter. She clenched her hands in her lap, staring down at them. “I don’t like _drinking_. My mother…” She trailed off and shook her head, her bangs hanging in her face and obscuring one eye. Even this early, her hair was pulled into a proper bun, leaving no strand unkempt. “I can’t handle it.”

“Okay, no drinking,” said Qrow. He wasn’t sure how well he could keep that up, with Raven skulking around – and god that was something else to deal with later – but he could try. He could definitely _try._ And he could keep it away from Winter at least. “I didn’t realize it bugged you so much.”

Winter shrugged and finally met Qrow’s gaze. Even sitting down, she was an imposing one, and her gaze had Qrow straightening his shoulders without any real thought as to why.

“You confuse me,” said Winter, “You’re crass and loud, but you care as much as James does.” She frowned, and this time it was closer to a curious squint than a scowl. “I don’t understand you.”

“Maybe that’s because you don’t know me,” said Qrow. He stepped forward and held out a hand to her. “We can change that, if you want.”

Winter stared at his hand for a few long, painfully awkward seconds. Then, she reached forward and took his hand, getting to her feet so she was closer to eye level with him. Both of them barefoot, Qrow had a good couple inches on her, but with her stance and her look, she felt the same height.

“All right,” said Winter, “let’s change it.”

Qrow grinned at her.

Winter added, “However, if you ever have sex when I’m in the next room again, I’ll show you what they taught me in the military.” She squeezed his hand.

Qrow swallowed. “What did they teach you in the military?”

Winter’s smile was razor-sharp as she released Qrow’s hand. “Enough.”

“And, with that, I think it’s time you went home,” said James, putting a hand on Qrow’s shoulder. He dropped a kiss to the corner of Qrow’s mouth. “Talk later?”

“’Course,” said Qrow, and he went to the door to get ready to go home.

* * *

 

Blake had been alone in the house for almost twenty minutes when she realized that someone was watching her. With a quiet sigh, she set down her book, got up from her comfy spot in the living room, and walked out to the back porch. The windows of the living room partially looked out onto the backyard, and she knew exactly where her curious watcher was.

She also had a _very_ good idea who it was, based on something Yang had said last night.

“Are you going to come out, or stay skulking in the shadows?” asked Blake, leaning against the railing. “It’s cold, and I’d rather not stay out very long like this.”

From the shadows of the large bushes that surrounded the tree in the backyard came a figure that looked so much like Yang it was frankly uncanny.

“Hello, Raven,” said Blake.

The woman’s eyes narrowed. “So, you know who I am.”

Blake shrugged. “I’ve heard about you,” she said. She pushed off the railing and took a step back toward the door. “Want some tea? I’d rather not be outside if you plan on sticking around to talk.”

There was a moment, after Blake went back into the house, where she didn’t know if Raven was going to follow her, but, a few seconds later, a second pair of footsteps echoed in the house and Raven was stepping into the kitchen, where Blake was already putting on the kettle for tea.

“Is… Qrow around?” asked Raven, glancing around the room. Blake opened one of the upper cabinets and pulled down a jar of tea, the leaves in little mesh bags.

“No, and neither are Ruby and Yang,” said Blake, “I wouldn’t have let you in if they were.” She shrugged and pulled down two mugs, dropping the little bags into them. “Why were you outside, anyway? Shouldn’t you know that none of them are home?”

Raven was silent until the kettle popped. “I was just passing through.”

“A backyard with a ten-foot fence?” asked Blake, raising an eyebrow. “That seems likely.”

Raven frowned. Blake poured the water over the tea bags, replaced the kettle, and folded her arms loosely over her chest. The effects of last night still hung heavy around her, dragging at her shoulders and at her mind. Qrow and Yang’s shouting rang clear in her ears and it had made her reckless enough to let this woman into the house. She needed to know.

“So, you came into the house,” said Blake. She raised an eyebrow. “Did you actually want to talk about any of this or are you going to stand there and look mysterious?” And more than mildly attractive. Which was _incredibly_ strange to think about because it still terrified her to think of a woman as being attractive but she could handle this. She could handle this.

She had to handle this.

Even if Raven looked a lot like Yang and even if Blake was becoming increasingly and terrifyingly aware of her attraction to Yang.

But that was something else to handle later. After everything else.

“I was hoping to speak with Qrow,” said Raven, slowly. She picked up her tea and added some cream that Blake put on the counter. Blake added some cream and sugar to hers and both took a seat at the kitchen table. “But he’s not here.”

“No, last I heard him he was arguing with Yang in here last night,” said Blake. She clutched her mug a little tighter than she had to. Their words still rang in her ears.

Raven frowned, the gesture barely visible through Yang’s bangs. “What about?”

“You,” said Blake.

Raven bowed her head, grimacing as she tilted her face away from Blake. “Ah.” She didn’t offer any further elaboration. Blake wasn’t sure if she’d expected her to. “I… spoke to Yang last night. I suppose Qrow found out. I… didn’t expect him to like it.”

“They screamed,” said Blake. She tightened her hold on the mug a little further. “Mostly about you. Mostly about you and Yang. I didn’t catch it all.” That was a lie. She’d heard every word. She couldn’t get them out of her head.

“I’m sorry,” said Raven. Blake stared. Somehow, she hadn’t expected that.

“Why?” asked Blake.

Raven’s gaze fell to the strip of faux leather that wrapped around Blake’s throat. She pressed her lips together, brow furrowing. Blake swallowed hard. “Somehow, I doubt that’s a fashion statement.” Despite the words themselves, her voice was soft and non-judgemental, and there was something close to understanding in her eyes as she met Blake’s gaze again.

Blake’s fingers went to the collar and she pressed her lips together. “No,” she said, hand falling. “It’s not.”

“I’ve seen them before, gestures like that,” said Raven, circling her finger around the rim of her mug.

Blake forced herself to take a sip of tea. The warmth did nothing for her nerves. She kept drinking. Set down the mug. “It’s not the same.”

Raven hummed noncommittally and said nothing. Then, glancing up at Blake, she said, “How long?”

“Almost five years,” said Blake. She saw something flicker in Raven’s eyes, something that had Raven’s jaw clenching and her nostrils flaring. “I got out when I ran into Qrow.”

Raven’s eyebrows went up.

“I ran from him; I found Qrow in his car and asked for help.” Blake lifted her hands, ignoring the way they shook, and finished with, “I’ve been here ever since.”

“Too kind for his own good,” murmured Raven.

“He saved me,” said Blake, a little surprised at how firm her voice came out. “I’m inclined to _like_ how kind he is.”

Raven looked up and raised an eyebrow, lips slightly pursed. “He saved me too, more than once. That doesn’t make the fault any less dangerous.”

“You’re one to talk,” muttered Blake.

“Says the girl who let a woman she doesn’t know into her empty house,” said Raven.

Blake faltered. She had a point. She had let a woman she only knew the basics about, and second hand at that, into a house when no one else was home. She had put herself in a position where Raven could very easily overpower her and she hadn’t even considered it.

She’d been reckless. Caught up. Distracted.

She only hoped she didn’t pay for it.

“So I made a mistake,” said Blake, tightly. Her hands gripped the mug until she thought it might break. “You don’t seem dangerous.”

“Neither did Qrow,” said Raven, tilting her head. “But appearances can be deceiving.”

“I’ll take honest help over a woman who speaks in circles,” said Blake, scowling.

“And yet you’re speaking in the same ones,” said Raven, her expression identical to Blake’s.

“You say that like you’re not echoing me too,” said Blake. Both fell silent. Regret washed over Blake in one clear wave. Too much revealed in one simple statement.

There was a long moment of silence between the two. Neither one looked at each other. Both sipped and stared at their tea.

After a few long moments, Raven finally spoke again. “We…” Raven hesitated. “We really aren’t that different, are we?” she asked, looking up at Blake with a furrowed brow.

"No,” said Blake, shaking her head, “not in the least.”

Raven leaned back in her seat and stared at Blake, something indecipherable in her eyes. After a moment, she said, “You remind me of myself, when I was seventeen.”

“Is that a bad thing?” asked Blake.

Raven tilted her head. “That depends.”

“On?” asked Blake.

“Whether or not you have someone to pull you out of it.”

“Oh.”

Blake pressed her lips together, then changed her mind and lifted her mug to finish her tea. The warmth was fading, and the lukewarm tea did little to change that.

“They would, you know,” said Blake in a quiet voice. “You just have to ask.”

“My brother wants nothing to do with me,” said Raven.

Blake looked up and gave Raven the strongest stare she could muster. “So change his mind,” she said. “Aren’t siblings supposed to be good at that?”

Raven’s lips twitched. “Oh, I like you.”

Blake shrugged, ears pink. “Thanks,” she said. Blake’s phone buzzed next to her and she checked it, seeing a text from Qrow that said he was on his way home. “Unless you want to do this now, you should go.”

Raven nodded and stood, leaving her empty tea cup behind. As she headed for the back door, Blake followed, and they both hesitated at the door.

“Thank you,” said Raven.

Blake nodded. “You too.”

Then, Raven was gone, disappearing into the shadows at the back of the yard like they were living things.

Blake turned and headed back into the kitchen. She had tea cups to wash before Qrow got home.

* * *

 

By Ruby’s constant text messages, Yang and Ruby were both still out as Qrow walked up to the door of the house. He stuffed his key in the lock and sighed at his phone, then shouldered open the door and stepped in. Faintly, he could hear the sounds of a stereo playing music in the living room, turned low to offset its proximity.

Hanging up his coat and kicking off his shoes, Qrow stepped into the living room and smiled at Blake, who was tucked into one of the easy chairs, reading a book. Once more, she was wearing one of Qrow’s hoodies – a dark red one – and her bow of the day matched, having pale grey text that read ‘Out of Fucks, Call Back Later’. His lips twitched at the sight, but the expression just as quickly faded as he recognized that hoodie.

If she uncurled, he’d see ‘MU Education Graduate’ in gold lettering across the dark red fabric.

Taiyang’s hoodie from his university days. The same hoodie that Qrow had stolen from him a thousand times. The same hoodie Qrow had had in the back of his car the night of the fire.

The same hoodie he’d wrapped Yang in when he’d…

Well.

When.

Swallowing hard, Qrow cleared his throat and waited for Blake to notice him. Her head came up, a little smile on her face, and Qrow forced himself through the memories that roared around him to return the gesture.

“Hey, Qrow,” said Blake. She set down her book and drew her legs up to hug them. Qrow tried not to take it personally. Probably just tired or thinking about other things, not trying to hide from him specifically. “Um, good to see you home?” Her words were hesitant, a worry undercutting them that made Qrow sigh.

“How much did you hear last night?” asked Qrow.

“Everything but the context,” replied Blake.

Qrow grimaced and rubbed a hand over his mouth. _Perfect._ He crossed the space in the living room, circled the couch, and sat down. Pulled one leg up onto the couch and rested his arm across it instead of hugging it close to his chest like he wanted.

“Raven, Yang’s biological mother, is in town,” said Qrow, slowly. No surprise on Blake’s face. Yang must have told her that much. “We… don’t get along.”

“Why not?” asked Blake.

Qrow opened his mouth, closed it, frowned.

“There’s a lot of bad history between us,” he said. He grimaced. “And we never cleared it up.”

“Do you hate her?” asked Blake.

Qrow blinked. “No.” The word was soft, barely there, but it seemed to fill the space all the same. “She’s my sister.”

“But you told Yang she was…” Blake shook her head. “I just don’t get it.” Blake frowned at him. “Why hate family? Unless… Unless she hurt you.”

“She tried to take the girls from me,” said Qrow.

Blake’s frown deepened. “Why would she do that?”

Qrow clenched his hands into fists, grinding his teeth. “I don’t know.” He stared down at his leg and forced himself to take a breath. When he looked up, Blake was hugging her legs a little tighter, her eyes wide. Qrow forced himself to relax and let out a soft breath.

“Sorry,” he said. He lifted one hand and ran his fingers through his hair. “It’s complicated, Blake.”

She nodded. “I get that,” she said, softly. There was a creak as the front door opened and noise flooded the hallway as Yang and Ruby entered the house. Blake got to her feet and grabbed her book, looking out of the living room. She frowned, sighed, and looked at Qrow.

“You know, you really should talk to someone about all this,” said Blake. “Not me, because I’m, you know, a mess.” She flashed a smile at Qrow that was more self-deprecating than he thought it should have been.

He wondered how much she was dealing with on her own.

“You know you can talk to me, right?” said Qrow.

Blake nodded. “Yeah, and I do.” She glanced at the door again. Ruby and Yang’s voices were getting stronger. The shuffling of bags was undercutting their words. “But I’ve got to sort this out on my own.” Her words were soft, barely there, and Qrow saw the way her gaze went gentle as Yang’s laughter filled the room.

Qrow knew that look.

He’d seen it reflected in mirrors and windows whenever he was around James for too long.

“You have good taste,” said Qrow, quietly.

Blake jolted and looked at Qrow with wide eyes. He smiled at her, lowering his leg and nodding toward the front door.

“I mean it. You’d be good together,” he said.

Blake smiled at him, cheeks flushing. She looked away from him. “Thank you,” she whispered. And then she left the room and disappeared up the stairs, laughing when Ruby shouted at her ‘don’t look we have presents for you!’. Once she was gone, Ruby took the bags and scurried upstairs as well, leaving Yang and Qrow alone on the first floor.

Qrow pretended not to tense when Yang walked into the room. Pretended not to notice the way Yang did the same thing.

“So, you’re finally home,” said Yang, stuffing her hand in her sweater pocket. The other sleeve was tied in a loose knot. “Didn’t know if you’d come back.”

Qrow stood up, shifting to lean against the back of the couch and looked Yang in the eye from where she stood in the doorway. “I always come back.”

“You didn’t last night,” said Yang, raising her eyebrows. “Or were you too busy fucking your not-boyfriend to care what happened here?”

Qrow flinched. “If you don’t like James…”

“I like him just fine,” said Yang. “Better than I like you, these days.” Qrow grit his teeth and said nothing. “I just don’t get why you left.”

“I thought you needed space,” started Qrow.

“Bullshit.” Yang rolled her eyes with her entire head. “Come on, if you’re going to lie, at least do it right.”

Qrow sighed. Pinched the bridge of his nose. “I needed space. Raven brings up a lot of bad shit and I needed to deal with it away from you girls.”

“So we didn’t know you were being a dick about it?”

“So you didn’t see me break,” said Qrow. He lowered his hand and locked eyes with Yang, raising his eyebrows.

Yang opened her mouth. Closed it. Shook her head and regained her composure. “And you say I’m overdramatic.”

“You don’t know the history,” said Qrow.

“I know enough,” said Yang.

Qrow stood up straight. “No, you don’t.” His words were firm, his gaze piercing. “Raven told you why she walked the first time from her point of view, fine, I’m not going to deny that she thinks she’s right. But it would take _hours_ to tell even the abbreviated history, all right?” He pinched the bridge of his nose again. “Twenty minutes with her isn’t going to give you my life story.”

“I know you were in love with my dad,” said Yang.

Qrow rolled his eyes. “Yeah, you know what? I was!” he said. His voice seemed to echo in the room. “Taiyang was _everything_ to me and it killed me to see him with my sister, but you know what? I would _never_ betray her like that.” His words came out close to a snarl. “After everything we’d been through, everything we fought for, we finally got a family, Yang. We finally got to be _safe_. I wasn’t going to fuck up her one chance at happiness because I fell for the wrong guy.”

Yang said nothing. She looked away. Qrow couldn’t place her expression.

“You don’t know the history. Maybe you’re right, maybe I am too hard on her, but I have a damn good reason,” said Qrow. He shook his head and let out a shaky exhale. “You want to keep seeing her? Fine. Last time I tried to stop you it didn’t end well.” Yang lifted her good arm out of her pocket and rested her hand on her other shoulder. “But don’t think she’s telling you the full story.”

“What, because she’s a liar?” asked Yang, incredulous.

Qrow shook his head. “Because she doesn’t know the full story. And maybe I don’t either. But you’ve known me a hell of a lot longer than you’ve known her, so if you’re going to believe her over me…”

“You’ve spent my whole life hiding me from her,” said Yang.

“And maybe that was wrong,” said Qrow, tightly. “But, _fuck_ , kid.” He scrubbed his fingers through his hair. “You don’t get it,” he said, looking at the floor, “and I don’t know how to explain it. But there’s a piece of that history you don’t have and neither one of us is going to tell it to you because it’s not something you need to know.”

“If I asked, she might,” said Yang.

Qrow snorted. “No, she wouldn’t.” He couldn’t keep the bite out of his voice, try as he might. “Look, do whatever you want, you’re going to anyway, but when she runs – like she always does – you won’t have my sympathy.”

“You’re wrong,” said Yang, scowling at him. “I’m going to prove that she’ll stay.”

“In seventeen years, there’s been _one_ time she didn’t run, Yang, and that was when she still had Summer and Tai around to help her through hell,” said Qrow. “They’re _gone_ , we’re _alone_ , and when she gets spooked and runs, it won’t be anything new to me.”

Yang ground her teeth together and clenched her hand into a tight fist at her side. “I’m going to prove you wrong.”

“Hey, I’ll wish you all the luck in the world, but that won’t change who Raven is,” said Qrow.

With a frustrated curse, Yang turned and stalked upstairs. Qrow sighed and slumped back against the couch, head in his hands.

Fuck, he needed a drink.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are love!


	35. Left Unsaid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few conversations that need to be had.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So you may have noticed that this story has gone from being 36 chapters to 37. That's because this chapter ended up running something like 12,000 words long and I still wasn't done. So, I split it into two. I am STILL going to have this story finished before the new year, I promise, I just need a few days to edit out 36 before I start on 37. Then we'll be done! Holy shit.
> 
> Still so excited. Are you excited? I'm excited!
> 
> Anyway, enjoy!

It was a few days later when Amber came over, ready to help Qrow set-up for Salem’s visit on the fourteenth. Secretly, he was a little disappointed by the date, but he figured it was better to get things settled as soon as possible. Besides, it wasn’t as though he and James would have had plans for the date anyway, as they weren’t actually dating, but it was still disappointing all the same.

Blake had disappeared that morning, the girls were off at school, and Qrow was waiting for Amber. He’d heard from James that Penny was home sick with a bad cold and he wondered if he shouldn’t bake her some cookies to help her feel better.

But then Amber was knocking on the door and Qrow didn’t have time to debate if he wanted to make cookies any longer.

He straightened from where he was leaning against the kitchen counter and headed to the front door. He’d spent most of the morning cleaning up the house in hopes of making a good impression, but he hadn’t slept well last night either.

Spending most of the night trying to ignore the monster in his head begging for alcohol and knowing it was ten, fifteen feet from him tops, hadn’t helped.

Qrow took a second to steel himself before he opened the door, then pulled it open and flashed a smile at the woman on the other side.

She was much shorter than him and it took him a second to realize that she wasn’t a teenager, she just had a young face.

“Hi, Mr. Branwen? I’m Amber Bailey.” She clutched a tablet in her mitten-covered hands, a bright smile on her face. “May I come in?”

Qrow nodded and stepped aside, allowing her to step into the house. He closed the door behind her and tried – and failed – not to fidget as she looked around.

“You have a lovely home,” said Amber.

Qrow nodded. “I uh, thanks. I try.” He cleared his throat. “Coat?” His voice cracked and he winced, pointing at the coat rack next to the door.

Amber kept smiling. “Great,” she said. “Could you hold this?” She handed her tablet to Qrow and stripped off her mittens, hat, and coat, stuffing the former two into the pockets before hanging up her coat. Then, she took back the tablet and looked to Qrow. “So, how about a tour to start things off?”

It was at that moment that Qrow realized he hadn’t packed up anything in Blake’s room. _Shit._

“Uh, yeah, sure,” said Qrow rubbing the back of his neck. “So, this is the front hall,” he gestured around her, “and this way is the kitchen.” He led her into the kitchen and then back through the hallway and toward the living room. Everything Blake related was gone, except for her bedroom, and Qrow was grateful he’d had the foresight to do that much, it saved him time.

The house tour continued, Amber taking notes as Qrow led her up stairs and showed her first Yang and Ruby’s bedroom, then his own, then the bathroom.

“What about this bedroom?” asked Amber, squinting at the closed door to Blake’s room.

Qrow swallowed hard and pretended he was more at ease than he felt. “Just a spare room. I got the house originally to get Yang and Ruby different rooms, but they didn’t want them, so we’ve just been using that one for random storage.” He smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s kind of a mess.”

Amber giggled. “Well then, I won’t make you open it up today. Salem will want to see it though.”

Qrow nodded and led her back downstairs and into the kitchen. He poured himself a cup of coffee, trying to ignore his nerves, and looked back at Amber, who was scrolling through her notes.

“Well, I’d say you’ve done a great job so far here, Mr. Branwen,” said Amber, “I didn’t see anything out of place. Salem will come by on the fourteenth for final inspection. You’ll need to have the house clean, including that spare bedroom, I’m afraid, have two testimonials from neighbours – written is fine – and we’ll be expecting to interview your nieces as well as the neighbour you were with the night Yang was in her fight.” She looked up at Qrow and smiled. “Does that sound good to you?”

Qrow nodded, relief flooding his veins. “That sounds fantastic,” he said. “Thank you, so much.”

Amber stood and gave him a perky smile. “No trouble at all. You take care now.” With that, Qrow led her back to the door and waved her off. Once he closed the door, he rested his forehead against the cool wood and used it to ground himself as he took a few deep, shaky breaths.

Thank god. He could handle this much at least.

He wasn’t going to lose the girls.

* * *

 

Blake leaned against the porch and squinted at her phone, waiting for Tukson to reply to her latest message. She’d only visited him once since she’d reunited with him in the bookstore with Qrow, but even that was enough to learn a lot about him. He owned the bookstore, using money from their parents’ life insurance to buy it, he loved cats, and his favourite author, like Blake, was Linos Mantis, who was famous for his romantic mystery novels. A genre Blake wouldn’t readily admit to reading, but they’d helped her with a lot of things.

Her sexuality for one.

 _“Lots of shipments today, will have to rain check. Tomorrow?”_ he sent back. Blake sighed, shoving the thought aside to be dealt with later – she did _not_ need to think about telling her brother something she barely understood as it was – and sent a reply.

 _“Sounds good. Tea’s on you,”_ she texted. Tukson sent her a ‘:P’ in response and she giggled, tucking her phone into her pocket before rapping at the door.

In about ten minutes, Amber would be arriving at Qrow’s house. She’d made herself scarce just in time.

The door opened and Winter raised an eyebrow at her, her gaze falling to the maroon hoodie with golden lettering that she wore.

“Hey, Winter, can I talk to Penny?” asked Blake, shoving her hands in her pockets.

Winter shrugged and stepped aside, letting her into the house. “She’s sick,” said Winter, “but if she’s fine with it, yes.”

Blake nodded and shucked her coat, hanging it up as she took off her boots. Winter had already returned to her phone, tapping out messages rapid-fire to who Blake could only assume was her sister, Weiss.

She headed upstairs on light feet, glancing at the pictures of Penny and James along the wall as she went. There was even one of Winter, obviously her high school graduation picture, that made Blake smile. More and more she was realizing just how James and Qrow defined family – by love rather than blood. She wondered if, some day, James would consider her part of his, if Qrow still would at that point as well.

Something to look forward to. Something to wonder about. Not something to dwell on.

Blake rapped on Penny’s door and waited a minute, rocking backward on her heels to look at the paintings of tiny robot dinosaurs marching across the top of her door frame. They were surprisingly detailed, despite each other being smaller than her hand, and when Blake looked closely she realized that their glowing circuitry spelled out Penny’s full name.

She smiled at that.

The door opened and Penny peered out, her eyes bloodshot and her nose bright. When she saw Blake, she managed a weak smile and stepped aside, pulling the door open the rest of the way so that Blake could enter.

Once in the room, Blake saw that Penny was wearing an oversized hoodie as well – too big to be James’ and too casual to be Winter’s. She wondered where it had come from. Not Qrow or Yang or Ruby, they didn’t own anything in that shade of grey.

 _‘Breach’_ read the letters across the front in white edged with silver. Blake recognized the font – it was a band hoodie for some alternative rock group she’d never been much in to. The lyrics were good, mostly talking about getting over abuse, but the vocals were too harsh for her ears. Too bad, considering how much she loved the covers of the songs.

“Hi, Blake, is everything okay?” asked Penny. She sat back down on her bed, curling herself up against the pillows and hugging her stuffed stegosaurus. Blake hesitantly took a seat at the other end of the bed, drawing up one leg beneath her to sit more comfortably.

“I wanted to talk to you about something,” said Blake. Her words were slow, barely forcing themselves out as she struggled to understand just what she wanted to say. It was a long time coming, and while she wasn’t sure why she’d gone to Penny, she felt Penny would try the hardest of everyone to understand without treating her like a child or something broken.

As much as she appreciated Qrow and James and Ruby, they had a habit of looking at her like she was broken, even if they considered themselves the same. Besides, everyone else had things going on – Weiss, CPS, Raven, Yang – and she didn’t want them to take their attention away from their own problems.

They already did enough for her, after all.

“Okay,” said Penny. She sniffled and rubbed her nose. “I am sick, but I’ll listen.”

Blake nodded, frowning. She wasn’t sure how to explain anything. Wasn’t even sure where to start.

“Do you ever… realize something about yourself and all you want to do is stuff it into the back of your head and forget it exists?” asked Blake.

Penny raised both eyebrows in a gesture that looked almost identical to Qrow’s. “I am very tempted to sarcastically say ‘no’.”

Blake blinked. _Huh?_ “What?”

Penny shrugged, still holding onto her dinosaur, and said, “Never mind. I understand where you are.” She squinted at Blake. “Is this about feelings about yourself or other people?” she asked.

“Other people? Myself?” Blake sighed. “I don’t know.” She reached up and brushed her hair back from her face, brushing the bow of the day. This one read “Giant Meteor of Death for President” in large neon yellow Comic Sans on a space background. “I just…” She hesitated. “I feel like I’m learning all these things about myself too fast and I don’t know how to handle them.”

“I understand,” said Penny.

“You do?” asked Blake, eyes growing wide. “Then what should I do?”

Penny frowned. “That’s up to you,” she said. “When I started to realize things about myself, I knew I couldn’t hide.” She hugged her dinosaur a little tighter and sniffled. Blake leaned over and grabbed the box of tissues off the end table, handing it to Penny. Penny grabbed one and blew her nose, dropping it into the waste bin. “But I know that for me, living as who I was outweighed any consequence, especially once I knew my dad was behind me.”

Blake nodded. She wasn’t quite sure what Penny meant – obviously something she hadn’t told Blake – but she got the gist of it. Being yourself was important.

But could she even do that?

“I don’t know. I’m not sure if I’m strong enough,” said Blake. She pulled her leg up to hug it close and frowned at the blanket. It was a dark green, speckled with pictures of leaves.

“It’s not about strength,” said Penny. “It’s about courage.”

“I’m _scared_ ,” confessed Blake, voice cracking and barely above a whisper. She still didn’t look at Penny. “I can’t do this on my own but I don’t know who to talk to and…” She shook her head, bringing up her hands to put them over her ears. She bowed her head until her forehead touched her knee and took a few shaky breaths.

Penny shifted forward and rested her hand on Blake’s shoulder. “Whatever you decide, I’m here for you,” said Penny. “This is your choice, Blake.”

Blake nodded and stared at the sheets, slowly lowering her hands. After a long moment, she said, “Have I ever told you about Adam?”

“No,” said Penny. She took her hand from Blake’s shoulder. “But I know who he is, sort of.”

Blake took a deep breath. She could do this. She _had_ to do this.

“Adam Taurus was… the worst person I ever met, but the first time I met him, I thought he’d saved my life,” said Blake, slowly. She didn’t look at Penny, but she felt Penny shift. “I was lonely and my parents were dead and my brother was gone. Adam made me feel special; Adam made me feel important. When I had no idea who I was, Adam… made me a human being.” She swallowed, grimaced, corrected. “Maybe not a whole one, but a human being nonetheless.”

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Penny nod.

“I didn’t know who I was when I met Adam, and maybe I didn’t know who I was when I was with Adam, but I didn’t care.” She let out a sharp, bitter noise that wasn’t a laugh but wasn’t a sob either. She didn’t know what it was. Didn’t know how she felt apart from _tired._ “He gave me an identity.”

“Oh.”

Blake couldn’t place Penny’s tone, but she sounded so far away that Blake didn’t really care. She was free falling, mind entrenched in a thousand memories of a thousand moments that shouldn’t have been significant, but were. Chosen meals at restaurants, clothes being picked out and scrutinized, even her reading material had been monitored, lest she be corrupted by something Adam didn’t approve of.

She’d never had to make her own choices. Never had to figure out who she was. Because he did it all and claimed she’d done it herself.

She’d thought she was so mature, wearing low cut tops and reading philosophical novels.

But it had all been a lie.

“When I left, I was nothing. I barely had a name, let alone a personality,” said Blake. “And being here? It… I don’t know. I just don’t know.” She put her hands on her face and took a sharp breath against her palms. Let the coolness of them ground her.

“He bought the collar for my seventeenth birthday.” The words rang, sharp and acidic in the air.

“…Why?” asked Penny after a long pause.

Blake swallowed against the taste of bile, fighting back the rise of roiling, screaming nausea that swept through her body and left her quivering and sick. “He said I was his and he wanted the whole world to know. He said…” Blake shook her head, words echoing against her mind and slithering through her ears. No. She wouldn’t. Couldn’t.

“You do not have to tell me,” said Penny.

“Thanks,” said Blake. She pulled her knees up to her chest and hugged them close, frowning.

“May I ask one question?” asked Penny.

Blake shrugged. “Sure.”

“If you left Adam, why do you still wear that collar?” asked Penny.

And that was the million-dollar question, wasn’t it? The thing everyone had wondered but had been scared to ask her. And did she really have a good answer? Did she even _know_ why she still wore it?

She’d run the question over and over in her head a thousand times, but each time the answer had alluded her.

How did you explain something you barely understood yourself?

“I don’t know,” said Blake.

Penny frowned, but she didn’t say anything. Blake kept thinking. Kept running the words over and over in her mind until she wanted to claw apart her head just to try and piece it together.

“I just…” Blake squeezed her eyes shut. His own eyes, red and brown and angry, swirled up to meet her. The flash of the glowing end of his cigarette loomed beneath it. She swallowed hard. Opened her eyes. “He’s still here.”

“He knows where you are?” asked Penny.

Blake shook her head and tapped her forehead with one finger. “No, he’s still _here_. I’m not free. I don’t know if I’ll _ever_ be free. And until he’s gone for good – until I can look him in the eye and tell him to go fuck himself, I have to wear it.” She took in a deep, shaky breath. “He still owns me, Penny. And…” Her voice cracked. “I’m scared he always will.”

“Is that why you’re wearing Mr. Branwen’s sweater?” asked Penny.

“Is that why you’re wearing some boy’s?” Blake shot back without much thought.

Penny blinked and looked at her hoodie, tugging at one of the drawstrings. “His name is Mercury. He’s my friend. I wear it because it makes me feel safe,” she said.

“That’s why I wear his,” said Blake, softly. She hugged herself, taking a shaky breath. She didn’t speak again, just tried to swallow around the lump in her throat and not break down crying.

“May I hug you?” asked Penny. Blake nodded and tugged Penny into a hug, and the two held each other for a while as Blake fought back tears and visions of glowing cigarettes and angry eyes.

* * *

 

The girls were at school, Blake was out at James’, and Qrow was alone in the house as he prepared for the final meeting with the CPS and his first, and hopefully only, meeting with Salem. He had things to clean out, dusting to do, and he had to make sure Blake’s room was stripped before Salem arrived. Of course, that last part Blake was going to do, and her room would be going back up the second they knew Salem wasn’t coming back.

God, he’d gotten lucky with Amber today. He still had time before Salem, but he wasn’t taking any chances.

He’d nearly fucked up in a massive way just from his own stupidity and oversight.

Qrow sighed and leaned against the kitchen counters, bubbles floating around him from scrubbing too hard at the dishes in the sink. He rested his hands, half curled into fists, against the cool counter, head bowed and hair hanging in his face.

There was a knock on the door.

Qrow looked up and frowned. He hadn’t been expecting anyone. As he pushed off the counter, he ran a mental checklist of everyone it could be. The knock was wrong for James, Bart and Peter always called first, Glynda rang the bell, and the kids weren’t that measured. Besides, they were all at school, save Penny. Who could it be?

He got his answer when he opened the door and came face to face with a woman he’d hoped he’d never see again.

“Hello, Qrow.”

Qrow narrowed his eyes. “Raven.” He already had his hand on the door, pushing it closed, as he finished her name. Raven stepped forward and caught the door, holding him back with surprising strength.

Qrow cursed and let go of the door, but he refused to move.

“Aren’t you going to invite me in?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Qrow growled. “No.”

Raven sighed and glanced over her shoulder. “If you’d rather do this outside, I’m sure your neighbours won’t mind.”

With more than a little hesitation and a lot of frustration, Qrow opened the door and let Raven in, shutting it behind him and scowling at her. She took off her thin boots and long coat, a sure sign she didn’t plan on leaving any time soon, and went to step into his kitchen. Qrow coughed and nodded to the living room when she looked at him.

She shrugged and followed him there.

Him on the couch; her in the chair. The two stared at each other in tense silence.

“Aren’t you going to ask why I’m here?” asked Raven.

“If I cared, I would,” said Qrow. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and clasping his hands between his parted legs. “But I’m not sure I want to know the answer.”

Raven sighed. “At least you let me in this time.”

“I don’t need my neighbours knowing you’re around,” said Qrow. She’d been right about that much, at least, he didn’t want to deal with the inevitable questions that would come from having Raven poking around. She looked too much like him. Not enough like Yang to get _those_ questions too, but he knew people would want to know why his mysterious sister was around.

They always did.

He never had a good answer.

“You’ve been scaring my kids,” said Qrow, voice hard. “I don’t like it.”

“You think I wanted to scare them?” asked Raven.

Qrow snorted. “Judging by what I heard on Ruby’s phone the other day? Yeah, I’d say you were trying to fucking terrify them.”

Raven narrowed her eyes, a sharper, angrier red than his own. “I was _trying_ to—”

“What?” asked Qrow, cocking an eyebrow. “Get them to leave? Scare them away from you?”

“Qrow.”

“Make them think you were some kind of monster?”

“I was just trying to be exactly what you told them I was!” shouted Raven, her voice sudden and explosive in the room. Qrow flinched back, straightening. He stared at Raven. Her gaze broke away from him and he caught the glistening in her eyes that she was no doubt trying to hide.

“Raven…”

Raven made a noise that wasn’t quite a sniffle and shook her head. “You told them I was a monster, so I figured, why not be a monster? Maybe if I acted like one, I’d become one. Maybe…” She shook her head and drew her legs up into the chair, hugging them close.

Qrow swallowed hard. He’d seen Blake do the same thing a thousand times before, and he knew he still did it sometimes when he got really upset.

“Oh,” said Qrow.

“That’s it?” asked Raven, looking at him with a wry twist of her lips. “Just, ‘oh’?”

“What do you want me to say?” asked Qrow. He watched Raven watch him, neither one looking at each other dead on, but instead shifting their heads and gazes to judge each other from all sides. Two circling strays, each ready to pounce but neither willing to make the first move – whether that be to fight or flee.

“Do you even care?” asked Raven. He stared at her, impossibly small despite actually being his height. Her hair hung around her, not like a halo or a cloak, but like a shadow, allowing her to disappear despite its bulk.

“About what?” asked Qrow. There were so many things that question could be asking about, but he had a feeling he knew which one. He and Raven weren’t the same – their minds went in opposite directions in almost everything – and even he couldn’t keep track of her shifting thoughts, but he tried. Damn it, he’d always tried, even when he wanted to hate her.

He couldn’t hate her. No matter how much he told himself and the girls that he did, he couldn’t. Because seeing her here, in his living room, sitting across from him, Qrow was reminded of all the time they’d spent together. Of every day, of every hour, of every minute. Of how the only reason he was still here was because when a man decided they’d be good for mugging, Raven had shot out one of his knee caps with his own gun. Of how the only reason he was still here was because when he fell into the bottle, Raven had yanked him back out of it.

How even when she’d been trying to take his girls, she’d kept him afloat with spite. He’d survived so he could keep them. He’d gotten stronger because he deserved them more than she did.

She’d ran. She’d ran and the house had burned and now she sat here asking him if he _cared_.

He wished he didn’t.

God, he wished he didn’t.

“About anything,” said Raven.

Qrow snorted. “About the girls? Yes. About you coming back? Not the way you want.” He looked at her, saw the way her gaze hit the ground. The way her legs uncurled and she hugged her arms and looked so vulnerable. He knew she was trying to hide it, but her anger was failing her.

So was his, for that matter.

Maybe that was a good thing. Maybe it would keep this from dissolving into another screaming match.

“You hate me.” It wasn’t a question.

Qrow sighed. “No, I don’t.” Raven’s head came up. “Sometimes I wish I did but I don’t.”

“Why not?” asked Raven.

“You’re my sister.”

“That’s not an answer,” said Raven. She combed her fingers through the front of her hair, dragging it back from her face just as Qrow flicked his own bangs away from his eyes. “By that logic, we should both love our parents.”

Qrow grimaced. “Fair.”

Hesitation. Silence. No progress being made because neither knew if it was possible. There had to be something Qrow could say.

“Why now?” The words came before Qrow could stop them. He half wanted to pull them back, to drag them out of the air like he’d never said them at all. It wasn’t possible. But even if he half wanted to pull them back, he also half wanted to hear the answer. He needed to know why she was there, even if he didn’t want to.

“I was lost,” said Raven.

“And now you’re found?” asked Qrow, more bitter than it should have been.

Raven let out a sharp laugh that was just as bitter as his tone. “No. I just dragged myself high enough out of the mud to come crawling back to you.” Qrow flinched at her words, their echoes taking him back twenty some-odd years to another time, another place, entirely.

A sunlit beach, a pair of laughing voices, and Qrow and Raven far away from it all, arguing as Raven had tried to disappear off the beach.

 _“You don’t need me here, bringing down the mood,”_ Raven had said. _“Just let me go.”_

_“No. We want you here. We love you, Raven.”_

A bitter laugh. Higher than it was these days, but not any lighter. _“I just make you feel better about yourselves. In the end, no matter what I do, I always have to crawl back to you.”_ She had looked to Qrow then, something like hatred in her eyes. It wasn’t for him, but herself, and even then, he’d known the difference in the look. “ _I make you feel good about yourself._ ”

“Took you a while to get to me,” said Qrow. “You hit both of my girls first.” He thought about Blake. Wondered if Raven had seen her as well. “Or did you go three for three?”

Raven shook her head. “You keep taking in strays, but you leave the one stray that’s yours out in the cold.”

“I’m in the habit of helping people who ask for it,” said Qrow.

Raven scowled at him. Qrow scowled back.

“If I asked, would you have?” asked Raven. “Or is that just something you like to tell yourself?”

Qrow bit back a growl. “I’ve _always_ been willing to help you, Raven, you’re the one who never thought you could ask.”

“Oh, like when I called you a couple months ago? Or nine years ago?” asked Raven. “What about _then_ Qrow, were you there for me _then_?”

“You never asked for help,” said Qrow, tightly.

“You should have known what I was asking for,” said Raven. She got to her feet, hands clenched at her sides. “You’re supposed to be my twin!”

“I’m not a fucking mind reader,” snapped Qrow. He got up and pushed forward, eye to eye with her. They glared. Soft red met hard and neither was willing to give up. Neither wanted to back down. “You tried to take my daughters—”

Raven snarled and lashed out, shoving him hard in the chest. Qrow hit the couch and went down, staring up at Raven.

Adam. Their father. Their uncle. Now her. Looming figures overhead as his mind told him to _run_ but he was frozen. Frozen and terrified because Raven had always been stronger. Always been more willing to tear someone apart if they wronged her.

“They’re not yours,” said Raven. Her voice wavered on the tears in her eyes. “They were _never_ yours.”

“They were never yours either,” said Qrow. He swallowed back his fear, voice shaking and rough, and pressed onward, “But I think, since I raised them, I have more of a claim on them than you do.”

“Summer and Taiyang—”

Qrow cut her off. “Would be grateful I raised them as my own.”

And be horrified that I didn’t?” asked Raven.

“I didn’t say that.”

“It was implied.”

Qrow took a deep breath and stood back up, forcing himself to keep calm and not betray the anger and tension that was working its way through his body. Raven was a sponge. If he stayed calm, so would she. If he dialed it back, so would she. So long as he didn’t make her defensive, he could keep her on the same level as him just by modelling it.

It wasn’t manipulative, even if it felt skeevy. It wasn’t.

Or so he kept telling himself. _Fuck._

Yeah, definitely manipulative. He’d feel bad for it later.

“You ran,” said Qrow. “You _ran_ and you never looked back unless it was convenient for you.”

Raven said nothing. Qrow wasn’t sure why he’d expected her to.

“You never even said goodbye. We just woke up one morning and you were _gone_.” Qrow’s voice broke on the word and he sucked in a breath that was shakier than he’d admit to. “You’re my sister, Raven, and even after everything you’ve done, I still love you.”

“Why?” asked Raven.

Qrow blinked back the tears that had gathered in his eyes. “I don’t know,” he admitted, “but I do, and every time you come back – every time you try to take them from me – I hate myself a little more for it.”

“They’re all I have left of Summer and Tai,” whispered Raven, her voice as broken as his. “I just wanted to have _something_ to remember them by.”

“Kids aren’t _things_ , Rae. They’re people. Wonderful people, if you’d take the time to get to know them,” said Qrow.

Raven’s lips twitched. Self-deprecating or pride or both, maybe. If that was possible.

“Didn’t you hate kids?”

“Before you two had ‘em, yeah,” said Qrow. He tilted his head. “You remember me in the hospital with Ruby? I refused to let her go. Told Summer I was gonna kidnap her and take off for Alaska.”

“You hate the cold,” said Raven, sounding vaguely amused.

“Yeah,” said Qrow with a sigh. “I do.”

Silence. Hesitation. Neither one knowing what to do next.

“I don’t want to take them from you,” whispered Raven. “I just wanted you to pay attention to me. To act like you _cared_ about what I did.” She hugged herself. “Once Tai and Summer were… once they…” She shook her head. Qrow understood. He understood better than even he thought, some days. “All you cared about was them. I just wanted part of that. I just wanted to feel like someone _loved_ me.”

Qrow opened his mouth. Closed it. Blinked a few times. Grimaced. How did he even respond to that?

“That… that doesn’t change what you did, Raven.”

Raven sighed. “I know.” Fingers through her hair again. “I was wrong and I don’t know what I can do to make it better. I fucked up. I destroyed everything I loved because that’s what I always do. I hurt you, and Summer, and Tai, and the girls, and I never meant to hurt you all that badly.”

She shook her head. “I just wanted to hurt you,” she whispered. “I just thought that if I cut first, you couldn’t hurt _me._ ”

And oh, it scared Qrow how much sense that made to him. It scared Qrow how much he understood that feeling. Cut and run before they did it back. It had never been part of who he was, but he knew the feeling. He knew how it affected Raven.

“Tell me what to do,” said Raven, tightly. “Tell me what you want me to be. Just give me _something_. I just to make this right. I want to do _better_ this time. I’m tired, Qrow.” She blinked, tears glistening in her eyes. “I’m so _tired_ of running.”

Qrow swallowed hard and licked his lips, trying to wet them despite his dry mouth and drier tongue. “How ‘bout we start with ‘sorry’?” asked Qrow. He met her gaze, held it.

“I am,” said Raven. “Sorry, I am sorry.” She swallowed. “That’s why I came back. That’s why I finally spoke to Yang and Ruby and…” She hesitated, grimaced.

That answered that question, then.

“I fucked up,” whispered Raven. She dropped her gaze and stared at the floor, hands clenched at her sides. “I just… I didn’t know what to _do_ and I made a mistake and I kept making mistakes and I was scared and horrified and hurt and I kept sabotaging myself and…” Her voice cracked, she shook her head. Sniffled. Qrow saw her fighting tears but said nothing. He didn’t want to make her lock up again. “Maybe it’s too late to say sorry. Maybe it’s too late to ask for forgiveness.” She looked up at him. “But I have to _try_ , right? I have to _try_. And even if you kick me out, even if you never want to see me again, I can at least say I tried to make things right.”

She met Qrow’s gaze again, held it despite the tremble in her eyes and in her lips. “I miss you,” she said, and the words hung heavy on Qrow’s shoulders. “You’re my brother. You always knew what I was thinking. I miss you. I just… I miss you.”

“Two questions,” said Qrow, voice quivering.

“Anything,” said Raven.

“Why did you leave, the first time?” asked Qrow. He had a feeling, but he wanted it confirmed. Wanted to know for sure.

Raven swallowed visibly. “You loved him. They cared about you. I wanted you all to be happy, even if it meant I wasn’t around.”

“I loved you more,” said Qrow.

Raven stared at him, lip trembling. “…Loved?”

“Love,” corrected Qrow, knowing her tone like he knew his own voice. “Of course I still love you. You’re my sister.”

Raven let out a sound that was half snort and half laugh, desperate and trembling all the same. “I never wanted to make you suffer, but I just made it _worse._ I always make it worse and fuck, even now I’m making this about me and not _you_ and I’m sorry.” Her voice cracked and she rubbed at her eyes. “I want you to be happy.”

Qrow wanted to reach out, perhaps pull her into a hug, but the rest of him wasn’t sure it would help. He felt almost as awful as Raven – she’d put him through hell, after all – but here she was, trying to make it right. Even if it was in her own, slightly different, way.

There was just one other question to ask. Just to be sure.

“What if I do want you to leave? If I do tell you I never want to see you again? What do you do then?” asked Qrow.

Raven swallowed hard, licked her lips, and nodded. “Then I guess I’ll go. And I’ll stop fucking up your life.”

Qrow held out his hand to Raven. “Okay.”

Raven stared at his hand, then at Qrow. Tears glistened in her eyes. She blinked, setting them free so a handful flowed down her face and splattered onto the floor. “Okay?”

“Okay.” He didn’t move his hand. Raven stared at it a bit more, then, she reached out and hesitantly laced their fingers together.

“Why?”

“People make mistakes,” said Qrow. “And honestly?” He sighed. “I’m sick of being mad.” Raven sniffled, Qrow reached up and brushed a stray tear from her cheek with his thumb. “I’ve lost enough family, Raven, I don’t want to lose anymore.” He took a breath, tightening his fingers against her. “I don’t know if I can forgive you. You’ve… you’ve done a lot to hurt me.”

Raven nodded, sharp and eager.

“But,” said Qrow, “I can try. We can talk. And I won’t keep you from Yang.”

“Okay,” said Raven.

“I just want one thing from you,” said Qrow. Raven nodded again. “Be Raven, even if you don’t know who that is, figure it out with us, with me. Don’t try and be some monster just because I was an idiot and kept calling you one. Don’t try and be something just because you think that’s what people want. _Ask._ We’ll tell you the truth, all right?”

She nodded.

“You have to take care of yourself too. Can you do that?” he asked.

Raven smiled, the first time he’d seen her do it in years. “I can try,” she said. “And I… I won’t stop until I can make it right, Qrow. I don’t want to leave again.” Her voice cracked and Qrow finally gave in and hugged her, holding her as tight as he dared. Raven clung back, both of them finally breaking down as tears slid down Qrow’s face and Raven broke into crackling sobs against his shoulder.

And it wasn’t forgiveness, not quite. There were too many open wounds and past mistakes for it to be forgiveness. But it was a start. It was progress. It was _something._

A hand held out to help someone up, and the answering smile as they thanked you for it. But who was who, Qrow didn’t know.

And frankly, it didn’t matter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are love!


	36. The Past, The Present, and The Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Talking is hard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, fair warning about this chapter, we dive pretty heavy into Qrow's alcoholism and trauma. Be safe when reading.
> 
> One to go!

Raven left. Life resumed. Qrow spent three days trying to figure everything out. His world was changed, like a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders and now he was free – free to breathe, to think, to _live_ – without having to look over his shoulder or worry about the next day. CPS could be handled. Raven had been handled. He could do this.

Sure, he and Yang were still fighting, and sure, he and James were still trying to figure out what they were, and sure, maybe everything wasn’t _perfect_ , but that didn’t mean he couldn’t handle it. He could handle it.

But every time something went right, something went wrong, and he couldn’t shake the feeling it was all going to come to a head, sooner or later. And that feeling took him toward the weekend and through it, passed it, as he paced and stared and waited for something, anything, to go terribly wrong.

Of course, there was something. Something he’d allowed himself to forget, despite it being the same thing every god damn year. It never changed. But, somehow, in the excitement of the new year and everything, he’d forgotten the worst day of his life.

_The anniversary._

February was the month Taiyang and Summer had died in. February was the month everything changed. And every year, Qrow dreaded the eighth like a living, breathing thing, waiting for it to sneak up on him and pounce.

He’d forgotten until that morning.

He’d forgotten until the nightmares woke him up.

Even if his brain had forgotten, his heart remembered, and Qrow woke up in a cold sweat crying out for friends that no longer existed.

Qrow pushed himself upright and put his head in his hands, taking a deep, shaky breath and trying to calm himself. It was a hopeless effort, but he tried nonetheless. He just wanted to _breathe._

Fire. Screaming. Ruby and Yang. Running up to the house to find it already destroyed.

_No. Don’t be gone. Please don’t be gone._

Qrow flinched as his alarm clock went off next to him, its shrieking roaring into a siren that blocked out everything else. He scrambled across the bed and snapped it off, knocking it off the end table with a clatter as he did. Another flinch, a grimace. Qrow put his hands over his ears and curled up into a ball against his headboard.

Fire. Screaming. Crying. The smell of blood and char.

Qrow shoved out of his bed with blurry eyes and stumbled to the door. Latched onto the frame and forced himself to breathe. Shoved out the door and peeked first through Ruby and Yang’s cracked door, then Blake’s. All three of them were there and Zwei was asleep at the foot of Blake’s bed.

He let out a shaky breath and staggered downstairs, dropping hard onto a kitchen chair with his head in his hands.

_Fuck._

On his feet a second later, triple checking plugs, electronics, and the oven and microwave. Three full circuits of the house before he allowed himself to go back to the kitchen and make himself some coffee.

_Fuck._

Qrow glanced over at the clock on the stove and sighed. It was a little after six in the morning. Way too early to be up, but he had to be. Had to make breakfast and make sure the girls were good to go and keep working on getting shit set up for Salem from CPS. He had less than a week to go.

He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and pressed his palms into his eyelids as hard as he could. When he saw swirls of colour, he let go and opened his eyes again, blinking hard.

Another deep breath.

A curse under said breath.

_Fuck._

He managed to calm himself down in time to send the girls off to school and drop Blake off at Tukson’s bookstore before heading home. She seemed a little nervous, but she’d insisted on spending time with him alone and Qrow wasn’t about to tell her she shouldn’t. If she trusted him, so did Qrow. God knew she trusted a lot harder than he did.

Well, except for when they’d first met. But that was neither here nor there.

Qrow scrubbed his fingers through his hair and tried to beat back the wave of noise that washed across his mind. He clicked on the radio in the kitchen and flipped it over to classic rock. He blared it as loud as he dared as he did the dishes, but still the noise wouldn’t fade.

It was like static, clinging to the edges of his mind, coming into focus from time to time to remind him of what he’d lost and what he’d gained in a single instant. Down two friends and a sister, up two kids. Though he’d gotten the sister back.

He’d never expected that.

The dishes clinked together as he set them up to dry and with every clink Qrow caught himself flinching despite himself. The sounds kept yanking him back, trying to force him to think about things he’d rather not. Trying to make him deal with things he didn’t want to.

Qrow took a deep breath and let it out.

His body knew what it wanted. His mind knew where it was. His heart knew it was wrong. That it wouldn’t help. That the girls would need him later – they always did – and he couldn’t fuck up any longer. Especially not today. Not fucking _today._

If he fell back into the bottle he didn’t know if he’d come out this time. He didn’t know if he’d ever escape its slippery, seductive clutches again.

Sober for almost two months now. He could do this. Even if he was exhausted. Even if he wanted to scream. Even if every inch of him wanted to drink. He could do this.

Fire, screaming. Ruby, crying. Yang, asking where her mom and dad were. They’d been babies. Ruby not even a year old.

Fire, screaming. Gunshot, blood. Raven, leaving. Summer, crying. Ruby falling off her bike. Yang getting expelled from school.

 _“They started it!”_ she’d screamed, tears and blood streaking her face. _“I was defending myself._ ” Her clothes were torn, her knees scrapped, one of her teeth missing. _“They tried to hurt Ruby!”_

Arguing with the police, the CPS, the school. Expelled. Expelled. Expelled. A danger to society. Needs to go into anger management.

_“They tried to take her hoodie.”_

Arguing, screaming, Raven returning. Yang, leaving. Ruby, sneaking out. Thinking he lost them both and too drunk to do anything about it. Begging Asper and Pearl to take him to the hospital.

 _“She’s in critical condition. We have her in surgery. Her arm… we have to remove it._ ”

_“Save her, please, just save her.”_

Fire, screaming. Ruby, crying. Yang, numb. Qrow, screaming. The house destroyed and Ruby scared and god he’d never wanted to scare her.

A dish shattered. The screaming stopped. Qrow blinked.

Back in the kitchen, the radio turned to static. He clicked it off and stared at the broken glass on the counter, unblinking.

_He needed a drink._

Qrow pushed off the counter and drained the side of the sink full of water. The dishes were done. Mostly, anyway. The sink was empty even if there were still some on the counter. He could deal with the broken glass later.

_He needed a drink._

He stumbled upstairs, only half seeing where he was going as he clung to the railing and tried to block out everything in his head. He couldn’t. All he could hear were the ghosts of his past, clinging to him like a living, breathing thing. They told him he had failed. They told him he had fallen. They told him he would never be rid of them.

He knew how to get rid of them, if only for a minute. If only for a few sweet, scant moments.

Fifteen years they’d been gone. Fifteen years he’d stood alone against the demons that plagued his head. Fifteen years he’d tried.

Fifteen years since he’d last seen Tai and Summer. Fifteen years and his last words to Tai had been to tell him to ‘go to hell’ and his last words to Summer had been to ‘get out of my face’.

He’d never said goodbye.

He’d never told them he loved them one last time.

And he never would.

_He needed a drink._

Qrow pushed open the door to his room and stumbled to his knees, digging under the bed for the bottle of vodka he knew he’d hidden there.

_“What the hell is wrong with you, Qrow?”_

_“Back off Tai Tai, this has nothing to do with you.”_

His hand closed around the neck of the battle and he pulled it out from under the bed.

 _“Nothing to do with me? She’s my_ wife _and you’re acting like a child!”_

_Ruby and Yang were crying. Yang behind Summer’s legs and Ruby in Summer’s arms._

_“You’re scaring the girls, stop,” she snapped._

_“Stay out of this, Summer.” Qrow’s voice was slurred. Drunk. Not drunk enough. Never drunk enough. Raven was gone. Why had she left?_

_“Don’t talk to her that way. She’s done nothing wrong.” Tai turned to Summer. “Take the kids into the bedroom. They don’t need to see this.”_

Twist. Pull. Twist again. Curse and slam the heavy plastic against the floor and be grateful that he hadn’t bought glass.

_“Where is Raven?”_

_“How the fuck should I know, Tai Tai?”_

_“You’re her_ brother _.”_

 _“Like that’s ever meant anything to her._ ”

He twisted again. Got it open. The smell rolled through his senses and Qrow blinked back against the onslaught of memories that refused to stop.

_“What the hell is your problem with me, Qrow? Why are you being such an ass?” Tai grabbed him, Qrow shoved. Too close. Too much. He wanted to drag him back in. He couldn’t._

_Too many emotions and they all wanted out. God, he just wanted to_ feel.

_“Go to hell, Tai,” snapped Qrow. He shoved passed him and passed Summer, snarling, “Get out of my face,” before she could say anything._

_Then he was gone. Disappeared into the night._

_Four hours later, he’d come home to the house ablaze and his friends dead._

_His fault. His fault. His fault._

Qrow lifted the bottle to his lips and found himself choking on bile. He lowered the bottle and coughed. Curled in on himself. Looked at the bottle.

Nausea and guilt washed over him in waves. The bottle beckoned and begged. Qrow made a strangled noise and tried to lift it.

He couldn’t.

Body and mind wanted it, but his heart knew he couldn’t. His trembling hands refused to lift the bottle. His mouth refused to swallow. The girls needed him. He couldn’t fall. He couldn’t fall.

He wanted to fall.

He wanted to never feel again.

He wanted to be free of this fucking guilt but he never would be.

 _“Sometimes, bad things just happen,”_ _Qrow had said, holding Yang close after the police had left. Sobbing into his shirt, she hadn’t said anything, just clung tightly and whimpered._

_Expelled. Expelled. Expelled. The school, the district, the state. They had to move. The parents wanted to put a restraining order on Yang._

_“I’m sorry.”_

_“You have nothing to be sorry about.”_

Qrow put the cap back on the bottle, reached under his bed, and hauled the rest of the alcohol out. Gathering it into his arms, he got to his feet on shaking knees and stumbled toward the stairs.

Every step echoed in the house. Reverbed back into his ears and whispered at him not to do this. Just one sip, just _one little sip._

He stepped into the kitchen and set the bottles next to the empty sink. Gripped the counter tight and closed his eyes against the nausea and guilt and fear that rang through him.

He wasn’t strong enough.

But he was.

But he wasn’t.

He couldn’t let himself fall again. He couldn’t risk the girls. He couldn’t let this consume him any longer.

But god, did he want to.

_“I love him,” said Qrow and Summer had only smiled through the tears in both their eyes. “I’m sorry.” His voice cracked._

_“I know,” said Summer, pulling him into a tight hug. “I’m sorry, too. Maybe, one day, you’ll find happiness with someone.”_

_“But not him.”_

_“No, not him.”_

Qrow pulled the cap on the bottle of vodka, tilted it, and watched as the liquid poured down the drain and into the pipes, away from him and away from temptation.

One by one he emptied every bottle in the house until none remained. Then, when he was certain he was free, he rinsed the sink until the smell faded.

And all that was left after that was to turn, press his back to the cabinets, and slide to the floor. There, he finally gave in to the memories and pressed his face into his hands, breaking down sobbing in his empty kitchen with its broken glass and empty bottles.

* * *

 

Blake took a deep breath and adjusted the strap of her bag as she stared up at the sign that read ‘Tukson’s Book Trade’. Qrow had dropped her off a few minutes ago, but she hadn’t had the courage to go in yet. This was her first time here alone. Last time, she’d brought Qrow, just like the first time, and other than that she’d simply been texting him. It was too terrifying to try and go alone, not when she didn’t know him.

But she did know him, didn’t she? And the last two times they’d been out together, he’d been nothing but kind and gentle with her. Almost like he realized how skittish she was. Blake wasn’t sure how much he had guessed, but she hoped it wasn’t a lot.

She wasn’t sure she wanted him to know exactly what had happened since they’d last been together. Too much guilt, too much shame. Too much not wanting him to look at her different, like she was tainted.

Qrow and Yang hadn’t. Neither had Penny. But Blake didn’t know about Tukson. She’d only been reconnected with him for a short while, after all. How did you predict how someone was going to act when you had no idea who they were anymore?

Blake took a breath and looked through the window. She spotted Tukson wiping down the counter past the stacks and steeled herself before going into the store.

The jingling of the bell had Tukson turning before Blake was ready to face him. She managed a smile and lifted one hand to wave, before her hand slid higher to check on her bow. Today’s was light purple with white writing outlined in black that read ‘What, like a puma?’. There was a silhouette of a puma next to the question mark and, considering Tukson’s recently revealed love of bad jokes and big cats, she’d thought he’d appreciate it.

“That bow is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen,” said Tukson, walking up to her. “Did you pick that out for me?”

“Maybe,” said Blake, flicking it before lowering her hand. She cracked a smile at Tukson and rubbed her bare hands together, blowing on them to warm them. “Sorry, I’m late.”

“Don’t even worry about it,” said Tukson. He gestured for Blake to follow him and the two headed back to the counter, where Tukson had set up a pair of stools for them to sit at. Blake shucked her coat and slipped onto the stool closest to the swinging panel that led out of the behind-the-counter area, pretending not to notice Tukson’s raised eyebrow.

He didn’t need to know, she reminded herself.

“So, how’ve you been?” asked Tukson. He disappeared into the back for a second and returned with two steaming mugs of tea, sliding one to Blake. She wrapped her hands around it gratefully, using the heat to warm her cold fingers and let it seep up her arms and into the rest of her. “Do anything exciting?”

Blake thought of Raven. Of Penny. Of her conversations with Qrow.

About her own revelations about herself.

“No,” she said, bringing the tea to her lips and sipping at it. “Just the usual.” If anything about her life could be called ‘usual’, that was. “You?”

“Uh, let’s see,” said Tukson. He leaned back on his stool and stared up at the ceiling, stroking the weird facial hair he called a ‘beard’. And Blake did use that term loosely. “Sold a rare book to the Doc, he’s a usual customer of mine, met a couple of new customers who were all giggly about manga…” Blake snorted, hiding her grin with her tea. “And… oh! I went on a date last night.”

“Yeah?” said Blake. She smiled at Tukson. “Who’s the lucky girl?”

Tukson faltered. “Uh… Well.” He hesitated. A few months ago, Blake wouldn’t have thought anything of that hesitation. Wouldn’t have wondered what it meant, what it was hiding. But now, she’d seen it too many times. Seen that exact falter in the face of almost the same question.

Now she had a feeling and she was prepared to handle it.

“Not a girl?” guessed Blake. Her voice was calm, curious, but her heart beat fast and hard in her chest, pounding against her ribs. Her mouth was dry, her tongue clumsy, and Blake hoped, just _hoped_ , that she hadn’t made a terrible mistake. That maybe, just maybe, her brother was… was like _her._

Tukson watched Blake, his gaze flickering much like Blake’s tended to. She saw herself in that gaze, in the fear and tension that lingered in his shoulders and the line of his jaw.

“I don’t mind,” said Blake, quietly. She drummed her fingers on the teacup, heart pounding in her ears. She swallowed around the lump in her throat. Tried not to think about how badly it could backfire on her if she was completely wrong about Tukson and he took all of this badly.

“They’re not a man, either,” said Tukson, slowly. “Do you know what the term ‘non-binary’ means?”

Blake shook her head, frowning.

“Transgender?” asked Tukson.

Blake nodded. She knew that much. Vaguely, anyways. She’d come across the term in her online searches over the last few weeks.

“Well, someone who’s non-binary… they’re neither a man or a woman,” said Tukson, slowly. “They can be both, or neither, or somewhere in the middle. Does that… make any sense?”

“Sort of,” said Blake. She hadn’t realized that was a _thing_. Sure, there were people in the world who didn’t look the way most did, but she figured that was sort of isolated. But there was actually a whole gender, or, genders, outside of the two? Huh. “That’s kind of cool, actually.”

“Yeah?” asked Tukson, a smile splitting his face. Blake nodded. “Well, their name is Mike and they DJ down at a local club. We’ve been together for… four and a half months now. I think.” He hesitated again, looking pensive, then, “Though, honestly, I’ve never really had a preference when it comes to romantic partners.”

Blake couldn’t help the way she perked, her eyes going bright and a slow smile spreading on her face. “Really?” Her voice cracked, eager and greedy to hear more. The fluttering of her heart was no longer in fear, not completely, but also in excitement.

“Really. I’m uh, I’m bisexual,” said Tukson, rubbing the back of his neck.

Blake set down her tea and took a deep breath, tears prickling in her eyes. She brought up her hands and wiped them away, sniffling and trying not to break down in tears in front of Tukson. Her lip trembled and she bit it hard, tasting blood.

“Blake, hey, did I say something wrong?” asked Tukson. He reached out, paused, and lowered his hands back to his lap. “Blake?”

“I…” Her voice broke. She cleared her throat. Swallowed. Tried again. “I…” Nothing. The words wouldn’t come. But she had to. She couldn’t. But she had to. He wouldn’t judge. Qrow hadn’t judged. Penny hadn’t judged. But how did she make the words come?

He made it seem so simple.

“Blake?” asked Tukson. He reached out again and this time Blake met him halfway, tangling her fingers with his. He squeezed her hand with his and offered her an encouraging smile. “Talk to me.”

“I think I’m gay,” croaked Blake. Then, steadier, she said, “Actually, I’m pretty sure I am.”

Tukson’s smile turned warm and fond. “That’s pretty cool,” he said. “Thanks for telling me.”

“It’s okay?” asked Blake. There was so much she wanted to ask. So much she wanted to talk about. So much she wanted to know. If maybe leaning completely to one side was because of Adam or maybe it was simple who she was. Or maybe she’d tricked herself into thinking she’d been attracted to men in the first place. She didn’t know. She wasn’t sure how much it mattered.

But she had a word. A word she could use. A word people who loved and cared for her were okay with.

“Yeah,” said Tukson. “It’s perfectly all right.”

Blake slid off her stool, stepped forward, and wrapped Tukson in a tight hug. Tukson hugged her back as he stood up and set down his tea.

The two stood like that for a minute, then Blake tugged Tukson off to find books for them to read and discuss, and the two spent most of the morning and afternoon sitting together, swapping stories, content as could be.

* * *

 

Penny watched Winter pace back and forth in the kitchen, muttering to herself as she did. While she paced, Penny kept one eye on her phone, studying the last text message she had sent. It had been to her father, telling him that Winter seemed nervous and she wasn’t sure what to do.

He hadn’t responded. Penny hadn’t expected him to. He was very busy today, working with the military base to hand over his latest work with them. He most likely had his phone off, in fact. The military base did not like outside phones on. It was due to all their secrets.

“Winter?” asked Penny, setting down her phone. “Why are you pacing?”

“I’m not pacing,” said Winter as she continued to pace. Penny watched her go back and forth across the kitchen. She raised her eyebrows, not entirely sure what the gesture meant, but it felt appropriate. With pursed lips, Penny propped her chin in her hand and let her eyes follow Winter’s bangs.

“Okay,” said Penny. “Then, what are you doing?”

Winter stopped, huffed, and flipped her bangs out of her eyes. She looked at Penny and Penny lifted her gaze to the robins on the cabinets behind Winter’s head.

“I’m thinking,” said Winter.

“It looks like pacing,” said Penny, letting her gaze find one of Winter’s little blue earrings. Her ears were pierced in two places. The second piercing had a pair of hanging earrings shaped like tiny snowflakes. Penny liked the way they glittered in the light.

“Maybe it is pacing,” said Winter, clenching her fists at her sides. She scowled, though Penny was fairly certain the gesture wasn’t directed toward her. “But it helps me think.”

Penny hummed and tilted her head to one side, frowning. “What are you thinking about?”

“Weiss,” said Winter. She said nothing else, leaving Penny to wonder exactly what Winter meant by that. Perhaps she was thinking about the next time they were going to meet. Or perhaps she was thinking about what to get Weiss for her birthday. Or perhaps…

Hrm.

Penny wasn’t sure. She didn’t like this feeling, of not being sure, but she wasn’t certain how to ask Winter for more details without seeming pushy or inappropriate.

“Father is getting worse,” murmured Winter, after a minute of silence. Penny frowned at the table and traced her fingers in the wood grain. “He has taken all of his hatred and put it on Weiss. I can’t leave her like that. And Whitley, my brother, he doesn’t see it. He’s Father’s golden child. He’s been _brainwashed_.” Her voice cracked in the way her dad’s did when he was upset. Penny frowned.

Brainwashed?

“I just want to keep them _safe_ , but I don’t know _how_ ,” she said. Winter scrubbed her face with one hand and cursed under her breath, a gesture Penny had seen Mr. Branwen – _Qrow_ – do many times before. Frustration. Anger. Directed inward, not out.

Penny was safe. Winter was not.

“They need to… leave?” guessed Penny, tilting her head in the other direction.

“Precisely,” said Winter. She sighed and took the chair across from Penny, falling into it with far less grace than Penny was used to seeing Winter use. “I want to help.”

“I understand that,” said Penny. She folded her hands in front of her. “Can’t you just… go get them?” she asked.

Winter shook her head. “It’s not that simple. My father is a powerful man, my mother as well, taking them out of the house… It wouldn’t end well.” She sighed. “There’s got to be _something._ ” Her voice cracked again and Penny frowned. Her finger traced the wood a little harder, a little faster.

“Maybe Dad can help,” said Penny.

“Maybe,” said Winter. She sighed, sharp and harsh.

“Dad won’t let your sister and brother get hurt,” said Penny, firmly. “If you tell him what’s going on, he’ll help, Winter. That’s what he does. Help.”

Winter sighed again, slumping against the table with her head in her hands. “Thank you, Penny.”

“You’re welcome,” said Penny. “I promise we’ll figure this out, together.”

Winter smiled, but it was very small and didn’t reach her eyes. Penny wasn’t sure what else she could say, so she stayed silent. Keeping Winter company the best she could until Dad got home.

* * *

 

Qrow waited on the couch for Ruby and Yang to get home. He’d managed to clean up the broken glass and throw it, along with all the empty bottles, away, even as his mind blurred together two worlds until he could scarcely tell them apart. When he’d finally surfaced, for good, this time, he’d made his decision.

It was time.

The door to the house opened and Qrow waited, head cocked to one side as he listened for Yang and Ruby’s voices. No sign of anyone else.

“Girls?” he called out, grimacing at the waver in his voice. “Can you come in here?”

A moment later, Ruby and Yang appeared in the doorway. Yang was scowling, looking half like she wanted to stomp off and snarl at him, while Ruby simply looked curious.

“What’s up, Dad?” asked Ruby.

“I wanted to talk to you,” said Qrow.

Yang rolled her eyes. “Obviously,” she muttered.

“About what?” asked Ruby.

Qrow took a breath. “You know what day it is?” Yang and Ruby looked at each other and nodded. “Fifteen years ago, two of your parents died.” The phrasing made Yang’s eyebrows shoot up and her eyes go wide. Qrow pretended not to notice. “I think…” He hesitated. Took another breath. Clenched his fists in his lap and tried not to panic. “I think it’s time I told you the story of what happened that night.”

Ruby and Yang exchanged a glance and came into the living room. Yang took a seat in the chair and Ruby climbed up onto the couch next to Qrow.

“Really?” asked Yang. “You’re going to tell us?”

Qrow nodded. “If you want.”

Ruby and Yang exchanged another glance. Qrow knew that look well. A dozen questions passed between the two. A hesitation that left Qrow feeling more lost than before. He wondered what they wanted. He wondered if they knew what they were getting in to, if they said yes.

He wondered if he’d be able to do this without breaking down crying.

He didn’t know.

But he had to try.

“We do,” said Ruby, “Well, I do.”

“So do I,” said Yang.

Qrow took a deep breath. “All right,” he said. He combed his fingers back through his hair, shifted so that he had his back to the arm of the couch and could look at both of the girls, and tried to sort out his thoughts. “So, to know how this all went down, we have to go back before the fire.”

“So, you’re gonna tell us about our parents?” asked Yang, raising an eyebrow. Ruby perked, something hopeful in her eyes but a protest lingering in them. Qrow nudged his foot with hers and she smiled.

“Yeah, all three of them,” he said.

Yang nodded and tucked her legs under herself. Ruby hugged her own. Qrow steeled himself.

He could do this.

“Raven, Tai, Summer, and I all lived together – you girls know that much – and the three of them were together for a long time before you two were born,” he started. His words were stilted, hesitant. Too rehearsed. He grimaced. “I was never really a third wheel, except when I was, but…” He shook his head. Tried again. “We were…” Another shake of his head.

_Fuck._

The girls watched on, curious but silent.

“Your mother was right,” said Qrow, looking to Yang. Her mouth fell open and her eyes went soft. “I was in love with Taiyang, for years.”

“You… and...” Ruby blinked, trailing off. “Really?”

“He didn’t know,” said Qrow, words soft. His gaze fell to the couch and he drew one knee beneath himself, twisting his fingers together in his lap. “Summer and Raven did, but he didn’t. Near the end, when things were getting rough, I got close to telling him, but I never did. It wasn’t my place.”

“Because he and Mom were together,” said Yang, though her voice was more question than certainty.

Qrow nodded. “Might be a little odd, going after your mom’s mostly-husband.”

“Mostly-husband?” echoed Ruby.

“Because Mom was also with your mom,” said Yang, looking to Ruby. “They were all together, right? You just mentioned that.”

“Right,” said Qrow, and god, had they really not known that part until tonight? Had he really never told Ruby and Yang how in love their three parents had been? Fifteen years and they knew nothing.

His fault.

But he could change that now.

“I figured it was a lost cause and I never did anything about it, but when Raven took off, it all came to a head anyway,” said Qrow. He shook his head and combed his fingers through his hair. “She told you that’s why she left, right?” he asked, looking to Yang. “Because of me and Tai?”

Yang nodded.

“That was… partially true,” said Qrow, tilting his head and grimacing. “A lot went on with Raven after you were born, kid, and none of it was your fault or hers. Stuff in her head took over and she spent a long time struggling to keep her head above water. She made it two years.” He hesitated, grimaced again, dragged his fingers through his hair. “We tried to help but,” he shook his head, “she was convinced she was broken and didn’t want it.”

Yang’s eyes went soft and her gaze dropped to the ground.

“Hey,” said Qrow, snapping his fingers at her. “I just said it’s not your fault, all right? Don’t blame yourself for something you couldn’t change. Sometimes bad things just happen, remember?”

Yang nodded and visibly swallowed, giving Qrow a wobbly little smile.

“Besides, kid, it’s not like she didn’t love you. She came back, didn’t she? I’ve known Raven my whole life – she only ever comes back for the people she loves,” said Qrow. It was a bit of a twist on the truth, stretching without breaking. Raven did come back because she loved them, but that hadn’t been at the forefront of her mind. It was everything that came with love – stability, an identity, etc. – that she’d been consciously thinking about.

“Thanks,” said Yang, softly.

Qrow nodded and looked at Ruby, who watched him with soft eyes. “Your mom loved you too, Ruby. Summer was the sweetest, kindest woman I ever knew. She had her flaws – she could be too nosey and didn’t know when to quit – but she was a good person. Lot like you, actually.”

Ruby smiled. “Yeah?” she asked.

“Yeah,” said Qrow. He smiled back, but his mind was faraway as he did. “I think you all would have been a pretty perfect family,” he said, voice soft and eyes sliding away from them both. “I was never much of a father, but I tried to do what I could.”

“You’re a great father,” said Yang.

Ruby nodded. “Yeah! Don’t beat yourself up, Dad. We turned out okay, didn’t we?” She gave him a hopeful smile and Qrow couldn’t help but smile back. He reached out across the couch and ruffled Ruby’s hair.

“Yeah,” he said. “True enough.”

Qrow cleared his throat. Swallowed. Got back on track. The lump in his throat returned as he thought of what came next – of everything that had happened that night and that week – but he forced himself to speak around it.

“So, Raven left because she thought that if Tai didn’t have her around, he’d fall for me. Didn’t work, by the way.” And he didn’t sound bitter, no, not at _all._ “But once she was gone, everything started shifting. I was drowning and I was dragging them down with me.” His voice wavered. His mind awash with memories that he tried to fight back to keep speaking. He cleared his throat again. “One night, it all came to a head. Tai and I got into it, I said a lot of things I shouldn’t, and I took off.”

_“Get the hell out of my face.”_

_“Qrow, wait!”_

_“I don’t need you.”_

Qrow grimaced, took a breath, forced himself to see the living room and not the fire.

“I wanted to get drunk, but I didn’t have much cash on me. Turned out to be a blessing in disguise.” Qrow rubbed at his jaw, hiding the twinge that betrayed his trembling lips. “I came back the long way a couple hours later. Ended up halfway up the street before I saw the smoke.”

_Fire, screaming. The sirens wailing but not close enough. Someone asking where the girls were. The neighbours watching but no one moved to run inside the inferno._

“I saw it and… I couldn’t see any of you. I shouted and asked and everyone thought you were all still inside the house,” said Qrow. _Burning. Hot on his face and on his heels but he had to save them._ “I ran for the house, saw the fire on the first floor, and climbed the tree outside.” _Too slow. Too slow. Too slow._ “The hall to… to your parents’ room.” Voice cracked. Lip trembled. Whole world shuddered as tears and voice gave out at once.

Qrow swallowed, scrubbed his face. Let out a broken noise as he tried to put himself back together.

Ruby scooted close and Qrow didn’t look at her. If he stopped now, he’d never start again.

“It was on fire. I couldn’t get to them.” The words tumbled out of him now, shaking and stumbling. He shook his head and combed his fingers through his hair. “I couldn’t call out, the place was too loud. All the crackling and…” Another shake of the head. “I got into the nursery and grabbed both of you. Got Yang to hang on to my back and I climbed back out the window and down the tree.”

He could still smell the smoke, if he stopped and thought. Still feel the heat of the fire and taste the ash on his tongue. The crackles of the wood and furniture as it burned away into nothing.

“What about Mom and Dad?” asked Ruby in a tiny voice.

Qrow sucked in a sharp breath. “I don’t know,” he said, voice hoarse. He blinked back tears and shook his head. “I don’t _know_. Every day since I’ve thought about it. Thought about whether or not they died trying to get to you two. Not knowing I’d already gotten you out.” He blinked, the world blurred, and tears slipped hot and fat down his face. “The house collapsed so we – they – I –” He cursed and dragged his fingers through his hair.

“If I had just been able to shout louder; if I hadn’t left; if I was just _faster_.” His voice broke and he pressed the heels of his palms into his eyes and tried not to break down. “They’re dead,” he croaked. “They’re dead and I will spend the rest of my life not knowing whether or not it was me that killed them.”

“Oh, Dad,” whispered Ruby. Qrow looked up and saw Ruby in tears, the drops spilling down her cheeks. He opened his arms and she fell forward, burying her face in his chest as a sob slipped out of her throat. Yang got up and climbed onto the couch as well, making Qrow shift so he could hold her with his other arm, letting them both rest against him.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered into Yang’s hair. “I’m so sorry.” He swallowed hard, feeling his voice crack and tears gather harder in his eyes. “Sometimes bad things happen.”

“It’s not your fault,” whispered Yang.

“Yeah,” said Ruby against his shoulder. “You saved us.”

“I tried,” said Qrow, voice cracking. He pressed a kiss to Ruby’s hair. “I _tried._ ”

“We know,” said Ruby.

Qrow swallowed. “I can’t lose you too.” He hesitated, then added, “And I’m sorry, Yang, about Raven. I… you can see her. I won’t stop you. I want to make things right with her.”

Yang sniffled against his shoulder. “Okay,” she whispered.

The three clung together for a while, none of them speaking, until they all passed out in a pile on the couch, still clinging, still teary eyed, still trying to recover.

Later, when Qrow put Yang and Ruby to bed and took a minute to himself, he pulled out his phone and tapped the most recent call on the list.

Pressing the phone to his ear, he waited a few rings for the other end to pick up.

_“Hello?”_

“Jim?” Qrow’s voice wobbled. “Can you come over? I wanna talk to you.”

_“Of course. Is everything all right?”_

Qrow swallowed hard. “You told me your backstory. I think it’s time I did the same.”

"… _I’ll be right there._ ”

* * *

 

A man pulled up to the curb a little after dawn and slid down his sunglasses, squinting up the step toward the humble house that still had its Christmas lights up. With a quiet chuckle and a puff of his cigarette, he leered at the house.

“So, this is where she is,” he said, sliding his sunglasses back up. “Knew I’d find you eventually, darling. Now, it’s time to bring you home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are love!


	37. You, Me, and Everyone in Between

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end of _You and Me (and Everyone in Between)._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that's all from me, folks. The end of an era and the end of You and Me. I know some of you don't think I can wrap it all up in one chapter, but stories continue even off the page, so whatever doesn't get wrapped up, feel free to ask about, feel free to speculate about and hey, don't forget to read the end author's note.
> 
> This chapter has some heavy content warning for a past abusive romantic relationship, as I'm sure you all know who is appearing in this chapter, but I promise that that 'Happy Ending' tag of mine is going to hold true. Be safe everyone, and happy new year!

Valentines’ Day arrived before Qrow could even blink. One moment, he was talking to Yang about his adventures with Raven while she’d been pregnant – he’d gotten a pretty decent snort out of her when he’d mentioned her favourite food had been peanut butter covered hot dogs at the time – and the next moment, he was waking up on the fourteenth.

He rolled over onto his side and squinted at his clock. The red numbers stared back at him almost accusingly. Eight oh four in the morning. He’d slept in a bit later than he wanted, but he still had time. Salem wasn’t coming until ten and he’d gotten Blake to clear out her room last night. It was… impersonal now. Completely unlike her. But they’d stuck everything in boxes and carted the boxes over to James’ late last night, just to ensure that Salem couldn’t possibly find them.

Qrow grabbed his phone off the bedside table and squinted at it. Two texts – one from James and one from Ruby. The one from Ruby was just a quick note to let Qrow know that she and Yang had gotten to school safely and that Blake was at the bookstore with Tukson. The text from James was shorter, saying only ‘ _good luck today!’_. Qrow smiled at the message and ran his thumb over his screen.

Giving a soft sigh, he pushed himself out of bed and shuffled down the hall to the bathroom. He got washed up, touched up his stubble, and headed back to his room to get dressed. That done, Qrow shuffled downstairs to get his morning coffee and figure out what was left to do for the day.

As he stepped into the kitchen, he saw a black car driving away, much slower than it should have been. Qrow squinted at the car and reached for his phone, already pulling up James.

_“Qrow?”_ came James’ voice when he picked up.

“You see it?” asked Qrow.

James sighed. “ _Yeah, I saw it. That makes three times we’ve seen it in the last week.”_

“You still think it’s just a coincidence?” asked Qrow. He wrapped his free arm around himself, gripping his other elbow with his free hand.

_“No,”_ said James. _“If it comes by again, I’ll deal with it. Try not to worry about it.”_

Qrow chewed on the inside of his cheek. “What if it’s—”

_“I know_.” James’ voice was warm and smooth, wrapping itself around Qrow and calming him despite his growing worry. “ _I’ll take care of it.”_

“Thanks, Jim,” said Qrow. He hung up and sighed, resting his phone and his hands on the counter as he hung his head and closed his eyes. Jim would take care of it. Qrow could focus on the CPS, on Salem, and on everything else, without having to spare a thought as to who the hell was following someone in the neighbourhood.

There was a part of him, in the back of his head, that had a very strong idea on who it could be, but Qrow refused to give that thought any attention. So long as he didn’t think it, didn’t _say_ it, then it wouldn’t come true.

Let it never be said that Qrow wasn’t fantastic at playing at denial, even when he knew what was going on, deep down.

For the next two hours, Qrow tidied up the house, went about his morning routine, and ensured that everything was in place for when Salem arrived.

At precisely 10 o’clock, there was a sharp knock on the door. Qrow took a deep breath, smoothed down his shirt, and headed for the door. He took a moment to steel himself before he opened it, and, when he did, he came face to face with a woman he’d only seen in his nightmares.

_Salem._

She was paler than Qrow had expected, and her red eyes – so much harsher than his own, or even Raven’s – seemed to pin him where he stood. In the second it took Salem to give him a once over, Qrow felt as though he’d been ripped raw and dragged open, left bare for her to pick apart at her leisure.

He supressed a shudder and managed a smile, though he was pretty sure it didn’t reach his eyes, and glanced over her shoulder to Amber, who offered him a tight, nervous smile of her own.

Salem held out her hand to Qrow and Qrow took it, shaking it as best he could despite his nerves. Her grip was stronger. Qrow tried not to worry about it. It was such a little detail, after all. But the raise of her eyebrows said she’d noticed.

Yikes.

“Salem, I presume?” said Qrow, ignoring the way his voice caught. “A pleasure to meet you, I’m Qrow Branwen.”

Salem’s gaze flicked over him again and one corner of her mouth twitched upward for the briefest of moments. “Charmed,” she said, in a drawl that Qrow couldn’t peg for anywhere from America. Maybe English? He didn’t know. She sounded almost… otherworldly. Creepy. “Now, shall we?” She gestured into the house and Qrow stepped aside, letting her and Amber both come into the house.

“You have everything we asked for? Testimonies, explanations?” asked Salem. She glanced at her phone, speaking in a tone that betrayed both boredom and intensity somehow simultaneously.

“Yeah, yeah, I’ve got everything, and Jim’ll be around later to talk to you ‘bout the hospital,” said Qrow. He swallowed and fought the urge to run his hands down his shirt again. He was certain it was wrinkled, but he’d tried everything to make it smooth. He’d even ironed, and he never ironed. But everything had to go perfectly today, or else this was going to spell the end of his family.

“A tour, if you will,” said Salem, gesturing to the house. Qrow nodded and stepped back, toward the kitchen.

“So, this is the kitchen. I do most of the cooking, so it’s usually pretty busy in here,” said Qrow, shrugging. “The girls help out a lot, and I think they’re both getting pretty good at it.”

Salem hummed. “Regular meals? Proper nutrition?” she asked.

Qrow nodded and stuffed his hands in his pockets, grateful that he’d picked a pair with proper pockets. “Yeah, yeah, all that. Girls get all three meals a day and I send ‘em off with lunch too,” said Qrow. “Plus snacks, baked goods – I love baking.” He was rambling. He knew he was rambling and that the backwater drawl was creeping into his voice the way it always did when he got nervous. He couldn’t stop either. Damn it.

Salem opened the fridge and the cupboards, checking things off on her phone as she went. Amber stood just inside the kitchen, holding her tablet and smiling tightly at Qrow.

“He has a lovely house,” said Amber. “On my first pass, it seemed very clean.”

Salem hummed. “I don’t trust clean houses. They’re always hiding something,” she said. Qrow swallowed hard. Fuck, should he have left some mess in the house? He hadn’t realized. “However, this home does look lived in, I will give it that.” Salem glanced at him. “The report cards on the fridge are a nice touch,” she said, drily.

Qrow managed a light chuckle, pulling one hand from his pocket to rub the back of his neck. “Believe it or not, those are usually there. I like to remind the girls that, no matter how well or how badly they do, I’ll always be in their corner, cheering them on.” He grimaced. “That sounds really fake and cheesy, but…”

“Anything that sounds _that_ ridiculous and unrehearsed, I’m willing to believe,” said Salem in that same dry, vaguely amused tone. She checked her phone again, which Qrow figured served the same purpose as Amber’s larger tablet. “You’ve dealt with the CPS a few times before, yes?”

Qrow nodded and leaned against the kitchen counter. “Yeah, back when I first got the girls and back when Yang was expelled from her old school. I had to talk to the CPS over there, then. You guys are this state’s. So.” He shrugged. “New rules and all that.”

“Mm,” said Salem. “When Ms. Xiao Long was expelled, did our services make any requests of you?” Her gaze, eerie and far too observant, flicked from her phone to Qrow, one eyebrow raised.

“They wanted her to talk to a doctor for a bit, which she did, but otherwise, not really,” said Qrow.

Another hum from Salem. “And her anger issues, they have continued, have they not? She was recently in a fight with a boy named Cardin Winchester, yes?”

“She wasn’t charged,” said Qrow, voice going tight, “and Cardin confessed to being responsible for the fight.”

“Have you considered counselling?” asked Salem. Amber winced behind her, as though she thought the question was just as tasteless as Qrow did.

Qrow nodded. “She doesn’t like it. Says they always feel judgemental.”

Salem hummed again. “Something to look in to, anyway,” she said, as though Qrow hadn’t spoken as all. Her gaze flicked around the kitchen. “Now, about the rest of this house.” She gestured for Qrow to continue his tour of the house.

They went through the living room – where Salem hummed at the blankets on the couches – the backyard, and the bedrooms upstairs. It was at the guest bedroom – _Blake’s_ bedroom – that they paused again.

“Ms. Xiao Long and Ms. Rose sleep in the same room?” asked Salem.

Qrow stuffed his hands in his pockets and nodded. “Yeah,” he said. “I bought the house because I wanted them to have their own rooms, but they prefer sleeping in the same one. So this ended up a guest bedroom.”

Salem raised an eyebrow at Qrow. “And how often would you say you have… guests, Mr. Branwen?” There was a hesitation in her voice, a teasing on the word that made Qrow grind his back teeth together.

“Not often. Once in a couple of weeks, maybe,” he said.

Salem hummed and checked her phone. “You know, the girl who was with Ms. Xiao Long and Mr. Ironwood at the hospital that night, her name is Blake Belladonna.”

“Yeah?” asked Qrow, playing innocent. “Didn’t know her last name.” _Lie._

“Did you not?” asked Salem. She tilted her head, and the braids of her hair, spun into a bun at the back of her head, tilted slightly. “Interesting. I suppose you were also unaware that she is a runaway and a ward of the state? We’ve been trying to track her for almost four years now.”

Qrow let his expression fall to one of horror and shock for a brief moment before he schooled it back to something calmer, if still worried. “No, I had no idea. I thought she was just a school friend of Yang’s.” _Lie._

“Mm,” said Salem, sounding skeptical. “Have you seen her, since that night?”

“Not really,” said Qrow, shaking his head. “On and off, once or twice, but she hasn’t been around much, since. Guess all the talk of CPS scared her off.” _Lie._

“I suppose so,” said Salem, the skepticism strong in her voice. “You know, I visited your neighbours, before we spoke. They all had something to say, when I asked. A girl they barely noticed spending a day or two here before Christmas, then gone after the hospital visit. It’s interesting, that they all had such similar stories.”

Qrow leaned his shoulder against the wall and folded his arms loosely across his chest. “Well, gosh,” he said, feigning innocence, “I can’t imagine why we’d all have the same story unless we were telling the truth, ma’am.”

Salem narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips. Amber stared at Qrow with wide eyes. He looked Salem dead in the eye, expression smooth and eyes challenging. Dared her to come at him.

He knew this neighbourhood. He knew his friends. He knew he could do this.

“I suppose that is the most likely outcome,” conceded Salem, though her words were slow and measured. “Very well, Mr. Branwen, I believe that’s all I need from you. If you’d contact Mr. Ironwood and give me your testimonies, I can be on my way shortly.”

Qrow nodded and sent off a quick text to James, heading back down to the kitchen with Amber and Salem behind him. He handed off the two handwritten testimonies to Salem and waited for James to knock at the door.

When Qrow opened the door for James, they both hesitated for a second, looking at each other. James offered Qrow a small smile before he stepped into Qrow’s kitchen, looking down at Salem and Amber so casually that Qrow almost didn’t believe it.

“Hello, I’m James Ironwood,” said James. He held out his left hand – the right was covered – to shake, and Qrow caught Salem’s eyebrow raise before she returned the handshake.

“Salem,” she said. It was the second time she hadn’t offered a last name. Qrow pretended it didn’t creep him out a bit. “I understand you were with Mr. Branwen the night of Ms. Xiao Long’s… incident?”

James nodded. “Yes, Qrow and I spent most of that evening together.”

“So, you can confirm Mr. Winchester’s story? Ms. Xiao Long and Mr. Branwen were not near each other during the time of the altercation?” asked Salem, raising her eyebrows.

James nodded. “Qrow was with me, and Ruby and Penny both said Yang didn’t get on the bus that day. They weren’t near each other before the hospital visit. It wasn’t Qrow.” Qrow had heard James give this story to the police before, but it was different now, with everything that had happened between them.

“And Mr. Branwen, your injuries were from a work-related accident?” asked Salem, glancing to Qrow.

Qrow blinked. _Accident_? “Yeah,” he said, rolling with it. “It happened at work.”

Salem hummed and tapped away at her phone. “We spoke to your old boss, Lisa Lavender, and she confirmed you were injured on the job. I understand you have a new place of employment?” Qrow nodded. “Very well, that answers my next question.” She tapped her phone again. “I believe that’s everything, Mr. Branwen.”

“That’s it?” asked Qrow. He couldn’t hide the disbelief and glee in his voice. Was it really over?

“Well, we still have to look over the testimonies, but yes, that is everything,” said Salem. She put her phone away. “You’ve done well, Mr. Branwen, I’m confident this is the last I’ll see of you, for any reason.” She gave Qrow a razor-sharp smile, shook his hand, and walked back toward the door, high heels clicking all the way.

Amber grinned at him, hesitant but cheerful. “Way to go!” she half-whispered. Qrow grinned back and shook her hand as well.

He waited until the door had opened and shut, and until he saw their car drive away, before he turned to James, let out a whoop, and threw himself at the other man.

James wrapped his arms around Qrow’s middle and hugged him close, laughing in his ear. “We did it,” whispered James.

“We did,” Qrow whispered back. He pulled back to grin at James, then went up on his toes and kissed him as firm and as deep as he could manage. James hummed into the kiss, both of them smiling too hard to kiss properly. They pulled back, still smiling at one another. “Holy shit, we did it,” breathed Qrow.

“Go out with me,” said James, words sudden as they were surprising.

Qrow blinked. “What?” he asked, half laughing and half breathless.

“Go out with me,” repeated James. “On a proper date.” His hands tightened on Qrow’s hips. “Dinner, a walk in the moonlight, something, anything. We survived, Qrow; the girls are safe, and Winter is recovering. I know there’s still a long way to go and a lot to do, but I don’t want to wait anymore.” Qrow smiled at James as he spoke, eyes soft and wet. “So, go out with me. Let’s take on whatever’s next _together_.”

“Okay,” said Qrow. He pulled one arm from around James and slid his hand down James’ right side, hesitating until James pulled back his right hand and wound their fingers together. Qrow took a moment to pull his hand back and tug off James’ glove before winding their fingers back together and resting against James.

“Together,” murmured Qrow.

“Together,” agreed James, and they stayed like that, _together_ , for just a little while longer in the kitchen.

* * *

The easiest way to get home in the afternoon was to hike the four blocks to the high school and catch the school bus home with Ruby, Yang, and Penny, which was what Blake had taken to doing most days. Today, especially, with the thick snow that had fallen last night, was a good day to take the bus and not ask someone to come drive her back.

Besides, Tukson had to watch the store, Qrow and James were busy with CPS, and Blake? Blake wanted to see Yang. There was something… sweet, that was a good word, about the way Yang broke into a wide, bright smile whenever she saw Blake. There was something undeniably _good_ , undeniably _pleasing_ , about the way Yang’s eyes went soft and her voice went bright and everything about her seemed to shift into undeniable happiness and enthusiasm, like it might burst out of her at any second if she didn’t show Blake how happy she was.

It was that knowledge that was giving Blake courage for what she wanted to do next, with Yang. Seeing the way Yang looked at her, and confirming that it wasn’t just her imagining it from Ruby (that had been an interesting conversation) and from Winter (a less interesting, if incredibly insightful, conversation), had given Blake what she needed to move forward.

Soon, she would make her move.

So, as Blake, Yang, Ruby, and Penny stepped off the bus that afternoon, Blake was distracted as she tried to spin her plan to talk to Yang privately around in her mind. She was not, however, so distracted that she didn’t notice the black car sitting down the block, nor the licence plate on said car.

Blake froze, two steps off the bus and eyes wide. In her new clothes, she didn’t look especially like she had six months ago, but that changed nothing when you knew what someone looked like inside and out.

The car lights shut off. Blake squared her shoulders.

“Blake?” asked Yang, pausing. Her pinned coat sleeve swung back and forth in the wind. “Are you okay?”

“Go inside,” said Blake, tightly. She clenched her hands into fists and gritted her teeth. “Everything’s fine.”

“Obviously, it’s not,” said Yang.

“Yeah, what’s going on?” asked Ruby.

The car door opened.

“Blake,” started Penny, but she didn’t get to finish. The figure stepped out of the car, two-toned hair and sunglasses flashing in the winter afternoon light.

“ _Adam_ ,” growled Blake. Even from a distance, Blake could tell he was smirking. Fear and anger chugged along beneath her veins in a horrible, cacophonous rhythm that threatened to block out everything else.

“Wait, _that’s_ Adam?” asked Yang. She growled low in her throat. “I’ll kill him.”

“Please, don’t,” said Penny.

“What is he doing here?” whispered Ruby.

Blake scowled and looked over her shoulder at the three. “Go inside.”

“No,” said Yang. “We’re not leaving you.”

“One of you has to,” said Blake. She watched Adam slowly swagger across the street and toward them, his sunglasses obscuring his eyes. “One of you needs to tell Qrow.”

“I’ll go,” whispered Ruby, and then she was gone, walking across the yard without hurrying. Blake was grateful. Hurrying was only going to make this much, much worse.

“Hello, darling.” The silky, slimy voice that spilled from Adam’s pulled tight lips over yellowing teeth was something Blake had hoped she’d never hear again. She fought a shudder and instead clenched her hands into tighter fists. Forced herself to swallow and hold her chin up high. So long as she didn’t break, he couldn’t take her. She could do this.

She had to do this.

She didn’t know if she could do this.

“Adam,” said Blake. Her voice was as cool as she could make it, but it still wavered, just slightly, on the name. It had been months, but the fear was always there. The want to run – both to and away from him, simultaneously – threatened to swallow her up and leave her drowning. She needed _air._ She needed to _breathe._

“Why did you run away, darling?” asked Adam. He spread his hands, revealing yellowing nails and no gloves. “You were always so obedient before. What changed?” He tilted his head and smiled, but it was crooked and twisted, making shivers run up her spine and leaving her feeling more violated than anything else. “You’re still wearing it.”

Blake’s fingers flew up to her throat. When she’d lifted her head, she must have tugged at the zipper and pulled it down by accident, revealing the simple collar that still clung to her neck. She grimaced, swallowed. Tried not to panic.

He didn’t own her. He didn’t own her. _He didn’t own her._

“Have you hoped I’d return for you?” asked Adam. Blake could feel Yang and Penny at her side, both of them frozen. Neither seemed to know what to do. Blake didn’t blame them. Adam had that effect on people.

It was part of how he got her, in the beginning.

“Of course you did,” said Adam. He stopped, only a handful of steps away from Blake, and rested his thumbs in his black jeans’ pockets, casual as could be. “You know I’ll _always_ come back for you, darling. You’ll always be mine.” His mouth quirked up on one side, vicious and hungry.

Blake swallowed and took a step back. “I…I’m not going with you,” she croaked.

Adam frowned. “ _What_?” The growl slid into his voice like venom, piercing Blake’s resolve and leaving her floundering. She had to say no to him. She didn’t want to go with him. But the black of his sunglasses and the growl of his voice was taking her back – further and further – until she couldn’t tell if she was seventeen or fourteen. A child or almost a woman grown.

She blinked to try and clear the past but it clung tight around her.

_Help me._

“Hey, she said no,” said Yang, stepping forward. “Why don’t you just back off?” She clenched her good hand and gritted her teeth, letting out a low growl at Adam.

He raised an eyebrow, head tilting so that it was obvious his gaze had fallen to her pinned sleeve. “And what are you going to do about it?” he asked.

Yang lifted her fist and bared her teeth. “I don’t need both hands to knock out some prissy asshole like _you_.” She gave him the once over, looking thoroughly disappointed in what she saw. Warning bells rang hard and loud in Blake’s ears. This was a bad idea. He would _hurt_ her.

“Yang,” said Blake, her voice soft. She reached out and rested a hand on Yang’s shoulder. Yang glanced at it, rolled her eyes, and stepped back. Blake looked at Adam. “Please just, don’t hurt anyone.”

“Hurt anyone?” echoed Adam. He let out a sharp, bitter laugh and shook his head, mouth open in a disbelieving grin. His teeth, half destroyed from smoking, seemed to sharpen as Blake saw them.

God, she hated those teeth. They’d always pressed too hard against his lips when he smiled or spoke. He’d always licked them when he wanted something from her.

And so many times she’d felt them against her mouth when he’d kissed her. Just like that awful, grimy tongue of his.

She couldn’t go back.

She couldn’t stay.

God, what was she supposed to do?

“You were the one who hurt me, darling,” snapped Adam, stabbing a finger at her. He crossed the distance between them in an instant and grabbed her wrist. Blake yelped and tried to jerk away, but he held fast.

“Let go of her!” said Yang, grabbing for Adam.

“Shut up,” snarled Adam. He struck Yang hard across the face with his free hand. She hit the snow, cradling her face. A cut rose on her face, bright red against her skin.

The rings, thought Blake. He was wearing the rings. He _never_ wore them anymore. Not unless he was planning to…

Blake’s cheek stung from long forgotten injury. She had scars from those rings. Too many of them.

“Adam, stop,” said Blake, jerking against his hand. “I don’t want to go with you. I don’t _want_ to go back.”

“I don’t care what you want,” said Adam, his fingers digging harder into Blake’s arm. She gasped, pain splintering up her arm and leaving her vision spotting as her knees buckled. She wanted to hit him, kick him, do _something_. But she couldn’t. For five years he had taught her not to. For five years he had told her to never touch him. For five years she had never been able to.

Five years.

_“You’re beautiful, you know,” he whispered to her on the playground. “And so much older than these_ kids. _”_

_“Really?”_

_“Let me take you away from here. Let me show you what it means to be a_ woman. _”_

Blake swallowed against the bile in her throat. Her world was blurred in past and present and she couldn’t separate the two.

She would never be free.

“Why are you doing this?” asked Blake.

Adam glared. “You _left_ me. You said you’d _never_ leave me. I _told_ you to never leave me.” His hand tightened. Her arm ached. Her knees buckled. “But I found you. All because of that stupid bartender. You are _mine_ , Blake, and I am never letting you go again.”

Penny’s voice cut through the cold. “What the _fuck_ is wrong with you?”

Blake started. So did Yang, who Penny was helping up. So did Adam.

He chuckled, low and throaty and more than a little dangerous.

“Penny, no, don’t,” breathed Blake. But Adam’s grip on Blake loosened as he turned and Blake jerked out of it. Saw Adam ball his fist before the others did. She stumbled forward and stepped in front of him, arms thrown out to the sides to block his view and his body from them.

“Blake,” started Yang.

Blake blinked. Tears gathered and fell, letting the cold eat away at her. “Don’t hurt them.”

“Come with me,” said Adam. “Come back to me, darling. We were happy together, weren’t we? I love you, Blake. I know you love me. Why be separate? Why run?” He stepped forward and Blake stepped back, swallowing hard against the bile in her throat.

“We were happy together. You were perfect and I was there to shape you into the woman you are today.” His smile was cruel, even without his eyes visible. Blake saw that now. Words that had once taken her to her knees only struck at her stomach now. Left her floundering and queasy but not unable to take it.

She was stronger.

She knew what happiness was now and she wasn’t ever letting anyone take it away from her again.

“I wasn’t,” said Blake, tightly.

“You _were_ ,” insisted Adam. He went to grab her wrist again, but Blake met him halfway and grabbed his, holding his wrist firmly.

_She could do this._

“ _Don’t_ touch me,” said Blake, her voice a low, angry growl. Adam stared, his sunglasses sliding down enough for Blake to see his wide, bloodshot eyes behind the reflective lenses. In the lenses, she saw the fury in her eyes and the ugly anger on her face.

Anger didn’t suit her, Adam had always said. You don’t want to be ugly, do you, he’d always say.

No more.

_No more._

She’d be ugly if she wanted to. She didn’t give a _damn_ what he thought.

“I was never happy with you,” said Blake. “I know what happiness is now and it’s _not_ what we had.” Adam jerked his hand free and Blake stabbed a finger at him. Drove him back a step. Power flooded her veins and kept her going. She could hurt him. She knew she could.

She was _tired_ of being pushed around.

“I have friends and family here. I have a life. I have _interests_. I’m allowed to be who I am without being told what to do,” shouted Blake. She threw her arms wide. “I have a life here and I’m not letting you take that from me.”

Adam growled. “Don’t you talk to me that way.” He stepped forward. Blake stumbled backward. He loomed overhead and god, she’d forgotten how tall he was. “I made you who you were. You’d have no idea what kind of person you were without me. Without me, you’re _nothing_.”

“You know, I believed that, once,” said Blake in a low voice. She met his gaze and held it despite the trembling in her hands and the trembling in her jaw. Her arm ached where Adam had grabbed her and she used that pain to push forward. “And maybe I have no idea who I am. And maybe I need other people to tell me sometimes. And maybe I’m not sure what I want in life. But you know what?” Adam growled. Blake bared her teeth in a snarl. “I don’t _care_. Because my new family – my new friends – they’ll help me figure it out instead of telling me. They’ll help me find out who I am on my terms and _not_ on yours.”

Blake’s mouth quirked up, but it wasn’t Adam’s sneer. It was Qrow’s smirk, it was Yang’s cockiness, it was Ruby’s mischievousness, and it was Penny’s sarcasm. It was her friends and her family and her supports pushing back with her. It was _love._

“You are _nothing_ to me,” said Blake.

Adam reeled back like he’d been hit, then, with a growing snarl on his face, he drew back and—

“Don’t touch her.” James’ voice rang clear and loud through the street. Adam froze. His head tilted to look at James behind Blake. Blake took the moment to scramble away from Adam, grab Yang’s hand, and pull her away from Adam as well. Penny followed them. Her question still echoed in Blake’s ears.

Qrow stepped out from behind James, both of them standing on Qrow’s porch.

“Hey Taurus, see you’re still a raging douchebag,” said Qrow, his voice so casual that Blake could scarcely believe he was talking to the man who’d beat him not so long ago.

Adam snorted and looked from James to Qrow and back again. His mouth quirked up, cruel and knowing. “Bad enough you and Torchwick are shitpackers,” said Adam. “Now you’re taking military men with you?” His gaze went to Yang and to Ruby, who joined Yang on the yard. “And kids. How deviant are they?”

“We’re just fine, thanks,” said Yang.

“Yeah, we’re not you, so, you know, we’ve got that going for us,” said Ruby, shrugging. She stuffed her hands in her pockets and gave Adam a flat look. He growled again, but it was ineffective. James stood tall on the porch and so did Qrow. But even if Blake was safe in the yard, if Adam left, she wouldn’t be safe any longer. He could come back. He could hurt her. He could destroy her life. He could take down everyone she loved.

What if he came back?

He _always_ came back.

“Adam,” started Blake. She took a step forward. How could she make him stop? There was no way, not unless she went with him. But she _couldn’t._ It would destroy her.

But it would keep them safe.

As she walked toward him, a car pulled up on the street, silent as could be.

Blake and Adam looked to it as one. Blake figured out what it was first.

“Hands in the air, Taurus,” said the woman as she got out of the car. “Keep them where we can see them.” She lifted a gun, holding it in both hands.

“On your knees,” said a man, holding handcuffs. Adam snarled but did as he was told, getting on his knees and putting his hands on his head.

“We’ve been looking for you,” said the woman. “Tax fraud, money laundering, _and_ drug dealing? You’re going away for a long time.” The man reached Adam and handcuffed him. Blake stared. So did everyone else. James looked more smug than he probably should have.

“Thank you for the assistance,” said James.

“Anytime, Ironwood,” said the woman. “Can’t believe he was stupid enough to approach ex-military in broad daylight.”

James hummed and looked to Blake, who kept staring at him in shock. How had he done that? How had he known? How had he gotten the proof?

“His car has been around for a few days now. But he only shows up when you’re not around,” explained James. He watched as Adam was hauled to his feet and dragged to the car. “I called a few of my old military friends – the ones who went into police work – and they told me Taurus had outstanding warrants. With his house empty, they were able to search it, and that let them get what they needed to arrest him.” He gestured to Adam as he was shoved into the car. “Hence, arrested.”

Blake managed a nod and watched as the man went to shut the door. “Wait!” she called. The officer hesitated, one hand on the door. Blake jogged across the yard in the snow and stood just outside arm’s reach of Adam. He glared up at her, his sunglasses off and his bloodshot eyes squinting into the winter light.

“What?” asked Adam. “Come to kiss me goodbye?” Even now, he sneered at her. It was more pathetic than anything else.

“Adam,” said Blake. She reached up to the back of her neck and unhooked her collar. “From the _bottom_ of my heart – _go fuck yourself_.” She tossed the collar on his lap and turned around, flipping her hair over her shoulder as she stalked away from the car. The door slammed shut. The others around her burst into cheers.

And Adam Taurus was taken away, once and for all.

“Blake, that was amazing!” said Yang, running up to her. “How’d you get the courage to do that?”

Blake looked to Yang and, in that moment, she lost her breath. The way the sunlight came through Yang’s hair, the way her cheeks and nose were rosy with cold, the way her smile lit up her entire face, and the way her eyes were so bright and warm and full of affection – it all made Blake realize how dumb she’d been for being so _scared._ Even with the cut on Yang’s face reminding her of what had just transpired, all her fear melted away.

“Can I kiss you?” asked Blake.

Yang blinked. Stared. Her mouth dropped open and her eyes went wide. Blake tried not to panic.

Tried, being the keyword.

“ _God_ yes,” whispered Yang in a hoarse voice. She stepped forward, resting her bare hand on Blake’s cheek. It was cool to the touch. Blake closed the distance, sliding her hands around Yang’s waist, and pressed a soft kiss to her lips.

It was warm and clean and everything kissing Adam had never been. And it was good, so good, that she caught herself laughing when she pulled back, tears in her eyes and a watery smile on her face.

“Hey, don’t cry,” said Yang. “Everything’s okay now.”

Blake gave a laugh and rested her forehead against Yang’s. “That’s why I’m crying,” she said. “Because everything _is_ okay.” She smiled at Yang, who smiled back.

“Told ya they’d make a good couple,” said Qrow. James chuckled behind them.

“Did you _swear_ earlier?” Ruby asked Penny, sounding incredulous.

“Um,” said Penny.

“You did _what_?” asked James.

Blake giggled at the discussion all around them and allowed herself to fall into Yang’s eyes.

And for the first time in a long time, Blake could honestly say that she wanted nothing more than what she had in this moment: Yang, a family, and her own happiness. Everything else could wait until later.

* * *

_One Month Later_

“Happy birthday dear Blake! Happy birthday to you!”

Laughter and cheers rang through the house as Blake blew out the candles on her cake and broke into laughter over the song. Tukson stood off to the side, taking pictures, while Yang had her arm around Blake, half sitting in her lap to steal kisses.

James shook his head, a small smile on his face as he cut slices out of the marble cake and handed one off to everyone in the house. Yang whooped when she got hers, setting it down and snapping a picture of her and Blake.

“I’m gonna send it to Mom,” said Yang, tapping away at her phone. She stuffed it back in her sweater and kissed Blake’s cheek again, garnering a “Yang!” from the other girl.

The party continued all around them, with presents being opened and Penny eating ice cream in her chair. James’ house was filled with noise, something that had been rare this time last year, and he saw Tukson and Winter chatting off to the side, their hands moving as they spoke. It appeared Tukson was telling Winter about a new book he was reading, which Winter was laughing about.

He smiled. It was good to see Winter making friends. Especially friends her own age, with few qualms about life and enormous, open hearts. On the other side of the party, Weiss was talking to Penny, and Penny was nodding intently as she watched Weiss’ hair swing back and forth in its enormous ponytail.

The party didn’t last long – this was only the pre-party, after all – and before long, the girls, plus Tukson, were getting ready to head out of the house and down to the local teen club, where they were going to be partying properly. Penny had earplugs and her fidget cube going with her, while Blake had grabbed a bow – a new one she’d gotten for her birthday that had a tiny rainbow amidst the black and said ‘I’m What’s at the End of the Rainbow’.

James thought it was funny.

“Dad, don’t forget to go see Ozpin tomorrow morning for tea,” said Penny, walking up to him.

“Of course, Penny, I will,” said James.

“You _have_ to,” said Penny, sound as urgent and empathetic as he’d ever heard her. “It’s very, very important. Ozpin has a secret to tell you.”

James nodded and kissed her forehead. “Okay, I promise I won’t forget to go see Ozpin in the morning.” Penny beamed and ran over to the door. James shook his head, a wry grin on his face. He wondered what Ozpin wanted to tell him. Something, anyway, perhaps something related to Halloween… but James wasn’t going to push the issue until he knew for sure.

As the girls shouted for Winter to come with them, and Winter laughed and followed them, James caught himself smiling more softly than before.

“Come on, Blake, tell me what you wished for,” said Yang, nudging Blake’s shoulder as Blake pulled on her coat.

“Yang, she can’t, it won’t come true!” protested Ruby, tugging on her hat.

Penny and Weiss both giggled as Blake leaned over and kissed Yang’s cheek.

“I wished for _you_ to…” She leaned in all the way and said something in Yang’s ear. Yang’s eyes went wide and she stared at Blake.

“Isn’t that illegal?” asked Yang, voice cracking.

Blake shrugged, then slipped into her shoes.

“No breaking the law on a school night,” said Qrow, dropping onto the couch next to James. The girls, and Tukson, all ‘aww’d’ before pulling on their shoes and opening the door.

“Be back by ten!” called James at the same time Qrow said, “be home by midnight!” The two men looked to one another, eyebrows raised. The party waited for them to come to a decision.

“Eleven,” said James.

“Eleven-thirty?” tried Yang, face wrinkled in question and hope.

James sighed and nodded. “Fine.” Everyone cheered. “Winter, I trust you’ll keep them safe?”

“Obviously,” she said, hustling them all out the door. “What do you think I’m going for?”

“And everyone else?” he asked, referring the others meeting them at the club – Ren, Nora, Neptune, Sun, and a handful of others.

Winter nodded. “Who else would do it?” she asked, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Hey!” protested Tukson, nudging her shoulder with his own. “I can keep them safe too.”

Winter patted his cheek and tugged him out the door. “I’m so certain, Tukson. Can you even throw a punch?”

“No…”

“I’ll teach you,” she said. Then Tukson was pulling the door shut behind him and the house was eerily silent. Empty paper plates and used plastic utensils littered the living room, but neither James nor Qrow moved to pick them up. They had hours before they had to have the house cleaned up for tonight’s sleepover. For now, they could just relax.

Qrow settled against James’ right side and James, without hesitation, lifted his arm and drew Qrow close, cuddling them together.

“So, what are you gonna wish for?” asked Qrow.

James hummed. “What?” he asked.

“Your birthday, it’s next week isn’t it?” asked Qrow. He lifted his head from James’ shoulder to smile at him. “What’re you gonna wish for?”

“Nothing,” said James, shaking his head.

Qrow wrinkled his brow. “Really?” he asked. “Why not?”

“Because I have everything I want,” said James. He tightened his arm around Qrow and kissed the top of his head. Qrow hummed and settled against him. “I have an incredible daughter – soon to be three, if things go well over the summer – an amazing job, a beautiful house, a fulfilling life and,” he paused, letting Qrow frown at him slightly. James smiled and continued, “the world’s most amazing boyfriend.”

Qrow smiled at him, expression soft and tender. “You’re pretty amazing yourself,” said Qrow.

James hummed. “I guess that’s why we get along so well,” said James, a touch teasing. He glanced at the living room and sighed. “How about we get this place cleaned up before we settle in?” he asked.

Qrow sighed. “I guess,” he said, peeling himself away from James.

“You know,” said James, voice hesitant as he stood, “If you’re good, I have a surprise for you.”

“Oh?” asked Qrow, standing next to him. He looked up at James, lips pursed and one eyebrow raised. “What?”

James swallowed. “A song.”

Qrow broke into a wide grin. “You’re going to sing for me?” The hope in his voice, half masked by giddiness, made James’ chest warm and all his nerves melt away. “Did you have a song in mind?”

“One,” said James. “But first, we have to clean up.” He flicked Qrow’s nose and Qrow wrinkled it.

“Yeah, yeah,” said Qrow. He leaned up and tugged James toward him, pressing a light kiss on his lips. “Then you’ll sing?”

“Then, I’ll sing,” said James, sliding his arms around Qrow’s waist. They rested their foreheads together, smiling softly as James hummed under his breath.

Despite every challenge, despite everything they’d gone through, both together and alone, they’d made it here. They’d found each other. Gotten lost in each other. Grown their families with each other.

“ _Perfect_ ,” whispered Qrow. And, after everything they’d been through, they finally got to spend a quiet night at home together, knowing that their kids were out, having fun, and being happy.

“Perfect,” agreed James.

And it was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
>  _'Cause it's you and me and all of the people with nothing to do, nothing to prove_   
>  _And it's you and me and all of the people_   
>  [ _And I don't know why I can't keep my eyes off of you_ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzJikUFVxes)   
> 
> 
> How do I describe the journey that has been _You and Me (and Everyone in Between_? I really don't know. This fic is ten months of my life. Ten months of changing headcanons, shifting perspectives, and growing as a writer. Ten months of my life, and an incredible ten months it has been. You and Me was the first big fic I took on that I completed, ever, and, at just under 130,000 words, it's officially the longest thing I've ever finished. Smells Like Team Spirit was also finished, but its format lent itself to a much faster finish time.
> 
> When I started this fic I didn't know how deep it would go. I didn't know it would get so heavy and I didn't know Blake would have such a massive role in the final act. I changed so much of this fic as I went but this last scene - the birthday - it's been on my mind for a long, long time. There are so many parts to this story I was excited to write, and so many things that, unfortunately, ended up on the cutting room floor, so to speak. But I am, ultimately, satisfied with how this fic turned out.
> 
> I want to thank every last one of you for writing comments, leaving kudos, bookmarking, subscribing - whatever you did, _thank you._ You all pushed me to be the best writer I could be and you kept me going when this fic fought me every step of the way. This fic is dedicated to you - all of you - and it wouldn't have been possible if not for all the support I got over the course of writing this - on Tumblr, on here, on Skype, everywhere. Whether you've been here from the start, came in partway through, or read this sometime in the future after it's all done. You were here. You helped make this happen. Thank you.
> 
> So this is the end of You and Me. The end of an era, and the end of my largest growth as a writer in one fic so far. But this is not the end of me. Fics both new and old will be resuming in the new year and hey, I have plans for a sequel for this fic, some day. So we'll see how that goes.
> 
> So that's it from me for You and Me. Take care, be safe, and remember that comments - no matter how big, how small, how old, how new, whether they're posted the day an update goes lives or ten years later - are always, _always_ love. And if you can't leave one for whatever reason, then that's okay too.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


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